


Safe Haven

by TooSel



Series: Home [3]
Category: Suits (US TV)
Genre: Deaf Character, Established Relationship, Flashbacks, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Fic, M/M, Mild Angst, Smut, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-02-23 12:31:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 56,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13190148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TooSel/pseuds/TooSel
Summary: The value of a lifetime can only be realized in a single moment.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This may work as a standalone, but some things aren't going to make sense unless you've read 'To build a Home' and 'Where the Heart is'.
> 
> I wrote this because I felt there was still a lot more to tell from this universe after the family of three became one of four. I tried something a little different this time, so I hope this story works for you. Let me know what you think! In case it isn't obvious, normal text is the present (set fifteen years after 'Where the Heart is') and italics are flashbacks (set at various points in their lives).
> 
> A heads-up: this story contains scenes that may be uncomfortable for some readers, including descriptions of problematic childbirth, mentions of sudden illness, terminal illness and death, referenced character death (OC), panic attacks, and descriptions of homophobia. If you want more details, just leave a comment or send me a message on tumblr @andthetardis and I’ll get back to you asap.

It's a day like any other before things go south.

Harvey knows something is wrong when he gets up that morning. He knows, feels it in the pit of his stomach, but he can't put his finger on it and so he simply ignores it. He kisses Mike goodbye and drops Liv off at school like every morning, goes to the firm, has a meeting with Louis, jokes with Donna about the new coffee cart guy who isn't nearly as subtle as his predecessor was, and then goes about his work as usual without giving it any thought.

If he'd known he was going to end the day in the hospital, he probably would have done something differently.

As it is, he doesn't realize something is going on – something more than a weird sensation, something tangible and decidedly not good – until he tries to draw breath in the middle of a meeting with Rachel and finds that all it does is make his chest constrict in an almost painful way.

He must have shown some sign of discomfort because Rachel asks, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I just- need a minute,” Harvey gets out, touching his chest without conscious thought, as if trying to counteract the sudden tightness from the outside.

“What the-” he breathes out when his vision blurs, a dizziness coming out of nowhere cloaking him until he can't think. Rachel's wide eyes suddenly hover over him at a strange angle, and before he can even attempt to say anything, he loses consciousness.

The next thing he knows, he's being prodded from all sides. He frowns, instinctively trying to bat the hands away. He blinks his eyes open, only to be met with an almost blinding light.

He groans, resisting the urge to close his eyes again in favor of taking his surroundings in.

“Do you know your name, Sir?”

Harvey scowls. “Of course I do. It's Harvey Specter-Ross.”

“Do you know what day it is?”

Harvey's eyes find the source of the voice, a woman about his age, giving him a smile that for some reason makes him angry. “Tuesday? It's Tuesday. Why are you asking me this? What's going on?”

“You fainted. You were in and out for quite a while.”

Harvey frowns. He doesn't remember any of that, but he distantly recalls the weird heaviness he couldn't place rolling over him at the office. At least now he knows what that was about.

“Rachel...”

“Mrs. Zane called an ambulance. She stayed with you for a while, but excused herself not long ago. She said to give you her best and that she would handle your deposition.”

Harvey nods in relief, dropping his head on the pillow before startling upright again a second later.

“Mike-”

“She informed your husband on the way. He should be here soon.”

Harvey lets out a deep breath, equally annoyed at the woman and himself. Fed up with his own ineloquence, he sits up and gathers his thoughts before he attempts to speak again.

“What's wrong with me?”

“We're still running some tests,” the nurse tells him in a tone usually reserved for small children who wouldn't understand what you're saying anyway. Harvey narrows his eyes.

“Can I speak to a doctor who actually knows what to say in answer to that question?”

“She'll be with you soon.” The nurse pats his thigh. “How are you feeling? Is there anything I can do for you before I go?”

“I'm fine. A little dizzy,” Harvey reluctantly adds at the look she gives him, “but that's all.”

She nods. “I'll send the doctor in,” she tells him. “Just lie back and rest while you wait. It's the best medicine.”

Harvey rolls his eyes, scowling after her. Confided to this bed like an invalid, it's not like he has much of a choice.

* * *

“Relative bradycardia.”

“What the hell does that _mean_?” Mike demands to know, ignoring the look Harvey gives him at the the tone of his voice, edging on desperation. “Is it dangerous? Does he need surgery? Will he be healthy again?”

“I _am_ healthy,” Harvey interjects, but neither Mike nor the doctor pay him any mind.

“It can become dangerous when going unnoticed or untreated, but that's what you're here for. It essentially means that your husband's pulse is too slow for his current medical condition, which caused the chest pain and the fatigue before he fainted.”

“But it can be treated, right?”

“Yes, very well so. In critical cases we implant a pacemaker, but some patients live just fine without surgery. We'll determine which treatment is best in this case once we've got all the results.”

Mike's mind gets stuck on the prospect of surgery, but he nods slowly. The doctor gives him an appeasing smile that does nothing to calm his nerves, then turns to Harvey.

“If you don't have any other questions, I'll leave you to it. A nurse will check in on you every hour, in the meantime you should rest.”

Harvey ignores the suggestion, instead asking, “When can I leave?”

“Well, that depends on your cooperation. Your condition is fine, but we'd like to keep you here to run a few more tests tomorrow. Bradycardia can have a number of causes, going from stress or high blood pressure to something more serious like heart tissue damage. We'd like to rule that out before we let you go.”

“I don't-” Harvey begins, but Mike cuts him off.

“He'll stay the night, thank you.”

Harvey shoots him a look that Mike stubbornly returns until the doctor has retreated and they are alone.

“Seriously? You don't trust me to go home to sleep in my own bed tonight and return for the tests tomorrow?”

“I don't trust you not to die in your sleep in the meantime, no.”

Mike steadfastly ignores the way his voice wavers, as well as the dry look Harvey gives him.

He lets out a deep breath. “You're not gonna let this go, are you?”

Mike crosses his arms. “Do I look like I want to take a gamble with your life?”

Harvey sighs, but miraculously resigns to his fate. Mike inspects him, biting his lip before he reaches out to grasp his hand. “How are you feeling? Really.”

“I'm fine, Mike,” Harvey assures him for the fifth time. Mike huffs, opening his mouth to reply, but is interrupted by the nurse coming in.

He sits back to let her do her job, only raising his eyebrows at the glare Harvey is giving him before submitting to the checkup with a sigh.

Mike takes in the sight of him in the hospital bed, so disturbingly unfamiliar. He's sitting upright, an annoyed look on his face as the nurse prods him. There are no signs of pain or weakness he is trying to conceal. Mike knows what they look like by now, he would catch them. Harvey merely seems tired. His normally meticulously styled hair has come loose, a few errand strands falling into his forehead, streaked with silver.

He stopped dyeing his hair a while ago when, before one of his appointments at the hairdresser's, Mike whispered into his ear, “You do look so nice like this, you know. It gives you such an air of maturity. I like it. It's sexy.”

Harvey regarded him closely before he leaned in to seek his lips with a smirk, nearly making himself late. He stopped making new appointments soon after that, and Mike just hid his smile and pretended not to be able to see right through him.

It's true that Harvey looks good with the beginning gray. Almost sinfully so. But the streaks are also a sign of his aging, a symptom of decay Mike never thought of as such. Now he can't do anything but focus on it, nearly jumping when Harvey calls his name.

“Hm?”

“I said thank god she's done torturing me,” he repeats with a frown. “Are you alright?”

“I'm fine. And she's not torturing you, she's trying to help, so I'd appreciate it if you let her.”

Harvey sighs. “Mike.”

“Harvey.”

He gives him a look that is equal parts annoyed and endeared, and Mike slips from his chair to sit on the edge of the bed when he nods him over.

“I'm worried about you. You can't blame me for that,” Mike mutters, staring at the white sheet covering Harvey's legs. Hospital sheets always look so clinical, lest the patients actually feel comfortable while staying here. Whoever decided to make them white, anyway? It has to be impractical, with all the bodily fluids being spilled here on a daily basis.

“I don't,” Harvey says, taking his hand. He waits until Mike is looking at him before he continues. “But you need to believe me when I say I'm alright. Trust me, I have no desire to end up here again. I won't do anything to jeopardize that.”

Mike lets out a sigh. “Alright.”

It's not alright, none of this, but it's not the time or place to argue. Mike is too on edge, too rattled to even think about any of this right now.

He glances at the clock, frowning. “Shit. I gotta head back soon, there's a possible investor coming today. I can't leave Charlotte alone with that.”

“Of course not. Go, you don't need to sit by my side all day.”

Mike could dispute the fact, but nods. He can't give in to the desire to latch onto Harvey and not let go until he's sure he's alright, no matter how much he wants to. “Try not to kill any of the nurses, okay?”

“I can't make any promises.”

Mike cups his cheek, gazing at him before he leans in for a kiss, lingering in a way that is too long for a simple goodbye, but he can't help himself. The fear Rachel's unexpected call left him with still sits fresh in his mind. Harvey's lips are warm and familiar, a gentle reassurance as he returns the kiss before patting Mike's shoulder to send him off.

“I'll be back tonight,” Mike promises, trying not to let show that leaving is physically hurting him.

“I'll be here,” Harvey remarks dryly. Mike grabs his jacket, throwing one last look at him before he reluctantly goes, the frown still etched into his forehead.

* * *

Harvey never realized how boring hospitals are, but he is quickly beginning to get acquainted with the bleak reality of a patient under supervision.

The worst part is how everyone treats him like he's on the verge of dying. He doesn't even _feel_ sick. So his heart decided to take it easy this once, and suddenly he has to skip work to lie around and let himself be poked by strangers all day. It's hateful.

With Mike gone and nothing there to keep him occupied, the day drags on even more. Harvey spends some time on his phone, texting the girls that he's alright and asking Rachel to call him once she gets out of the deposition, but that is taken care of quickly, and he drops the phone with a scowl when he gets no responses.

He could sleep, of course. He  _is_ somewhat worn out, but that would make him feel even more like an invalid and so he bans the idea, instead sifting the newspapers a nurse brought him earlier in search of something to distract him. He suppresses a sigh, skimming the articles with rapidly declining interest.

“So this is what you do when I leave home one time.”

Harvey looks up, his eyebrows rising in surprise. “Nela, what are you doing here?”

“What do you think?” Nela gives back, closing the door behind her. There's a crease on her forehead, but her voice is light when she says, “You think I'm not coming to visit when my dad's in the hospital?”

“You were gonna be here on Friday anyway,” Harvey points out. Nela comes home every weekend, only staying at her dorm during the week. “Don't you have classes?”

“Just one on Shakespeare this afternoon. You know I can't stand that professor anyway.”

Harvey clicks his tongue. “Still, you didn't have to come. But it's good to see you nevertheless. Come here,” he asks, waving her over.

She steps to his side to give him a hug that nearly squeezes the air out of him, but complaining about it is the last thing on Harvey's mind.

“Hey, it's okay,” he mutters, running a hand over her back. She sighs, then reluctantly draws back, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she sits down.

“You had me so worried. All of us. Daddy's barely holding it together. He sounded terrible on the phone.”

“I can imagine,” Harvey mutters. He inspects her face, cupping her cheek at the sight of her frown. “Hey,” he says, waiting until she meets his eyes. “I'm alright. I'm perfectly fine. No need to be worried.”

“What did the doctors say?” she asks, clearly not convinced. Harvey almost smiles. She's so much like Mike sometimes.

He tells her about his pulse and the tests, and she nods, not taking her eyes off him.

“You'll let me know as soon as you get the results, right?”

“Of course,” Harvey promises. “You'll be the second to know. Mike has to be the first, or he's going to kill me.”

Nela chuckles.

“Have you talked to your sister?” Harvey asks. “Mike said he called earlier and I texted her, but she hasn't replied.” When Nela nods, he asks, “How is she?”

“Alright, I think. I just asked if she was coming to visit this afternoon as well, but she's busy.” The corner of her mouth lifts. “You know how she is. Stubbornly refuses to talk about her feelings.”

Harvey hums. Mike often said that Harvey must have somehow passed those genes on to her through sheer force of will, and while he scoffs at the idea, he has to admit that she does take after him in that regard.

“She'll talk when she's ready. She always does.”

“Well, tell her to get over herself and text her old dad sometime. There's no reason for her to be worried. It's boring as hell in here, and I wanna talk to her.”

Nela elbows him. “You know, there's a better way to do that. You just get well soon so you can go home and talk to her in person.”

Harvey laughs. “I will, but I'd like to hear from her before that.” He glances at Nela, squeezing her hand. “Hey. I'll be out of here in no time, you'll see.”

She inspects his face, pursing her lips before they curve into a smile. “I should hope so.” She makes a meaningful pause. “I've got a case for you. I was gonna tell you about it this weekend, but if I'm here already...”

Harvey narrows his eyes. “What kind of case?”

Nela grins openly now. “A pro bono.”

Harvey sighs. “For god's sake, you really are your father's daughter.”

“I'll take that as a compliment.”

“You should. Don't tell him I said that,” Harvey adds. “So, what's this case about?”

“One of my classmates has some legal trouble with her grandpa's insurance or something.” She raises her eyebrows, giving him an innocent smile. “I can get you the details if you wanna look into it?”

Harvey sighs again. “Fine.” At Nela's wide smile he rolls his eyes. “You knew I was going to say yes. Don't act all canting, I know exactly what you're doing.”

“Well, it's working, isn't it?”

Harvey shakes his head fondly when she leans back. He still can't believe how much she's grown sometimes. Gone are the days when he carried her around on his shoulders. She's nineteen now, in her first year of university and every bit the decided young woman they tried to raise her to be. Harvey's heart aches for the second time that day as he looks at her, only now it's for an entirely different reason.

“How's your story coming along?” he changes the topic when she catches his eyes.

She hums thoughtfully. “I'm more or less done with the first three chapters, but I might have to change things up in the middle. Kind of wrote myself into a corner there.”

“Well, it's not too late for that.”

“Yeah. I'm pretty happy with what I've got so far, can you believe it?”

“I can,” Harvey says immediately.

She rolls her eyes fondly, then continues, “I still need to finish editing the first draft, but I can send you the opening chapter to read if you want.”

“Please. I'll be going insane without anything to do in here.”

“Oh, speaking of!” Nela grabs her bag, pulling out a box. “Since you missed lunch and I'm pretty sure hospital food is horrible anyway, I brought us a little something to share.”

Harvey groans when she reveals two plastic forks and a piece of cake looking like it came straight from his favorite bakery, only now noticing his empty stomach. “Darling, you're my savior.”

“I know, I know. Come on, let's eat. Can't have you starving.”

As disapproving as Harvey is of Nela skipping class – even though he knows she's too responsible to let it get out of hand – he is never going to pass up the chance to see her, now that she has half moved out more than ever.

As hard as it is to reconcile the person in front of him with the baby they took in all those years ago, as proud is he of who Nela has grown into. And in here, he is more glad about her company than ever. They share the cake over news from work and university, make fun of the coffee the hospital offers, and after a while Nela seems to forget why they are here at all, which Harvey takes as a success.

It's late in the afternoon when she has to go, and after hugging him tightly she leaves him with a few magazines she picked up on the way to keep him busy.

Thanks to the cake Harvey survives the dry dinner he's served, and by the time Mike comes back in the evening he is almost in a good mood.

“How are you feeling?” is the first thing Mike asks, and Harvey accepts the kiss he gives him before assuring him that he's still fine.

“What's this?” he asks, nodding towards the bouquet he brought with him. Mike looks down as if he forgot about it, then hands it to him with a sheepish smile.

“For you. To get well soon.”

“Seriously? That's... unexpected. And sweet.” Harvey accepts the flowers, trying to remember the last time he received any and coming up with a blank. He doesn't know the names of the flowers, but they are beautiful all the same. Probably have an appropriate meaning too. Mike would be sentimental like that. “You didn't have to.”

“Yes, I did. Grammy always said you don't visit someone in the hospital without bringing flowers, because they're like, a symbol of life, and they remind the person of the outside world so they get better faster, and I already didn't bring any when I came in earlier so I really-”

“Mike,” Harvey cuts him off gently, lifting his brows. “They're beautiful. Thank you.”

Mike meets his eyes before he lets out a deep breath, his shoulders deflating as he slumps on the edge of the bed.

“I was so worried, Harvey. When I got that call earlier, I just-”

He cuts a pitiful figure as he searches for words, emitting misery. Unable to take the sight for another second, Harvey reaches for his hand, firmly taking it in his.

“I know. But it's alright now.”

Mike doesn't seem convinced, but nods anyway. “Did you have a good day?” he then asks, and Harvey would have laughed if he hadn't looked so earnest.

“Define good,” he says instead. “For a day of being confided to a hospital bed, it was acceptable.”

Mike's eyes fall on the magazines he's been flipping through after dinner. “Where did these come from?”

“Nela was here this afternoon. Said she had to come after you called her and, I quote, were barely holding it together.”

“Oh, pity that I missed her.” Mike glances at him. “I was, by the way. Holding it together. I'm totally calm.”

“As you should be,” Harvey remarks with a pointed look. Before he can say anything else, there's another voice coming from the door.

“Knock knock!”

He looks up to find Rachel peeking into the room, giving off an air of concern even as she smiles at him. “Hey. Am I interrupting?”

“No, of course not. Come in.”

She does, giving first him, then Mike a quick hug.

“It's good to see you up,” she says as she takes off her coat.

“I'm fine,” Harvey tells her before she can ask. “Thanks to you, I should say,” he then adds, tilting his head in acknowledgment. Rachel just waves her hand.

“You gave me quite a fright when you fainted like that, you know.” Mike shifts on the bed. “I'm just glad you're okay. Did the doctors tell you anything yet?”

“Only that they'll know more after they run some tests tomorrow. All they've said so far is that my pulse got too slow.”

“So you'll have to stay the night?”

“Looks like it,” Harvey replies, raising his eyebrows at Mike. He just frowns.

“Well, the doctors know what's best for you, I guess.” Rachel's eyes rest on him before she shakes her head. “Oh, Harvey. Last time we were all in a hospital room together we promised to keep that to a minimum, remember?”

“Well, it's not like I did it on purpose.”

“I'm just saying.” Rachel grabs a chair, crossing her legs as she sits back. “I kept up my end of the deal after that, now all I want is for you to keep up yours. Not just because I'm doing all your work while you're here.”

“Speaking of, did you handle-”

“Of course,” she cuts him off. “The deposition was a tough nut to crack, but-” She smirks at him, pausing for dramatic effect - “I got him to confess.”

“You didn't.”

“I did. Got it on tape and everything.”

Harvey gives her an approving glance. “That's incredible work, Rachel. Don't tell anyone I said this, but I'm not sure I could have done it.”

“Well.” Rachel grins. “Guess I'm just that good.”

“Consider me impressed.” The corner of Harvey's mouth lifts. “We taught you well, didn't we? We should have made you senior partner sooner.”

Mike sighs. “If you'd listened to what I'd been saying for years...”

“Well, what matters is that I am one now, and a damn good one at that. And as such I request authority over your cases until you come back to the office.” She lifts her eyebrows. “Especially Pradax. I know you have a meeting scheduled for tomorrow and I think I'm the best person for the job.”

It would sound arrogant from anyone else, but from Rachel it's simply a neutral evaluation Harvey can't help but agree with. He could ask Louis to take over his cases, of course, but he knows he's swamped with his own work, and Rachel is right. She is the best person for the job.

“I'd be happy to know you're handling that.”

“Good. I'll head back to the office before I go home, read up on the files.”

Harvey shakes his head. “You don't have to do that, Rachel. I know you have enough on your plate. You want to go home to your family at the end of the day, and you should.”

“No, it's fine. I got this. I want to make sure it's handled right, I know how important this client is for Specter Litt.” She lifts her eyebrows. “Besides, you'll be out of here in no time, so this will only be for a few days, right?”

Harvey smirks. “You bet.”

Rachel bites her lip, hesitating before she asks, “Now that we're talking about it already, how do you think this is going to affect you in the long run? Are you going to cut back for a while? Because I think distributing your cases on the associates and-”

“I'm not cutting back,” Harvey interrupts her. “There's no need to. I'll be back at the office as soon as they let me go.”

“God, look at the two of you.” Mike sighs. “Harvey's already in the hospital and you're still talking about nothing but work. Did I use to be like that?”

“Worse,” Harvey and Rachel state at the same time, and he rolls his eyes.

“It's important,” Harvey adds, but before he can go on to explain that there is no reason for him not to talk about work since he's perfectly fine, Rachel says, “And now that we've discussed it, we can move on to something else. Mike's right, a hospital isn't the place for this kind of talk.”

“ _Thank_ you.” Mike grasps Harvey's hand in silent conciliation, then turns to Rachel to ask, “How are your boys? Haven't seen them in a while.”

“They are great,” Rachel says, the special smile she always gets when she talks about her family passing over her face. “Logan is busy with work, but he enjoys complaining about it way too much to change a thing.”

Harvey can relate to that.

“Has Julius been keeping up with his playing?” Mike wants to know.

“Oh yeah! Well, he went from violin to piano, but he's happy with that. At least for now. You know how it is. You're thirteen, you're only just discovering what you're into. Your interests change every hour.”

“I remember.” Harvey chuckles. “I'm glad both of ours are past that stage now.”

“Though sixteen can't be easy either,” Rachel remarks with a lift of her eyebrow.

“Oh, you know Liv. She's just out there doing her thing, finding her flow. Like she always does. I think the whole puberty thing fazed us more than her.”

“No matter what all the guides say, the reality of it is always different,” Mike agrees, exchanging a knowing look with Harvey. “We barely had to deal with any temper tantrums so far. It's much more pleasant than I'd anticipated.”

He thinks of the few times Nela and them really had a fight, each one tame compared to what he remembers from his own youth, and he can count them all on one hand. Liv is a little different in that regard, really going all in when she loses it, but she saves it for when it really matters and usually Mike can get behind her reasons, which makes resolving the conflict much easier. He doesn't know if people really exaggerate the difficulties of puberty or if Harvey and him just got lucky, but he's glad about it either way.

Rachel and him stay for over an hour, and while Harvey is probably more grateful for the company than Mike is, he can't help gazing at him from the corner of his eye all evening, as if his brain needs to constantly reassure itself that he's still there, that he's fine.

Talking about the kids sufficiently distracts him from the fact that they are all here because Harvey decided to pass out mere hours ago and they still don't know what to do about that, but the cold feeling that's been clinging to him all day returns when Rachel glances at the clock.

“I should leave if I want to grab those files today,” she sighs.

Mike swallows against the trepidation in his chest, forcing himself to say, “I should get going too. Liv is gonna demand dinner soon, and I should make some actual food before she eats an entire box of cereal again.”

Harvey grimaces as Rachel laughs. “Yeah, you'd better go. Those terrible eating habits are definitely your influence on her, she didn't get that from me.”

“So sue me,” Mike retorts as he grabs his jacket.

“I'll keep you posted on the Pradax situation,” Rachel promises, slipping into her coat as well before kissing Harvey's cheek. “And you let me know what the doctors say tomorrow, okay?”

“Yes, Mom,” Harvey gives back dryly, but he smiles at her. “Thanks, Rachel.”

He tilts his chin up when Mike steps in to kiss him goodbye. The familiar warmth and taste of Harvey's mouth lingers on his lips when he draws back.

“I love you.”

“I love you too,” Harvey says, squeezing his hand.

“I'll come back tomorrow,” Mike promises, and then he finally follows Rachel into the hall where she's waiting for him.

He lets out a deep breath, gazing at the door before he shakes himself and heads for the exit. Rachel falls into step beside him, eyeing him quietly.

“Mike, how are you?”

Mike huffs. “I'm fine. I'm not the one in the hospital.”

She gives him a look. “You know what I mean. That was quite the scare he gave us today, I can't imagine what it's been like for you. How are you holding up?”

“I'm alright.” Mike lets out a sigh. “Just shaken, that's all. Kind of... unsettled. But you heard him, he'll be out of here in no time.”

Rachel inspects his smile like she doesn't quite buy it, just shaking her head as she says, “You know you can always talk about it if you need to, right? Just give me a call.”

“I know. Thanks, Rachel.”

She smiles at him, kissing his cheek before they part ways. Mike looks after her until she disappears around a corner, the smile slowly slipping from his face. He releases a deep breath, then turns to head home, the prospect of the familiar house without Harvey in it holding no appeal at all.

* * *

_The drive to the hospital stretched on forever. The taxi driver glanced at Mike's fingers drumming against his leg every now and then but Mike paid him no mind, focused on not yelling at the man to drive faster instead. Logan had called him not long ago to tell him that Rachel's water had broken – too soon – and asked if Mike could meet them at the hospital, and the words had been stuck in his mind on a loop ever since. He could only imagine what Rachel had to be going through right now._

_He hurried inside the building once the driver dropped him off, barely noticing the people coming towards him as he asked a nurse for directions._

_He knew he was on the right floor when he stepped out of the elevator to find a crouched figure on one of the plastic chairs in the hall, staring at the wall before him._

“ _Logan?”_

_He turned his head, giving him a blank look before his face displayed something like recognition._

“ _Mike,” he acknowledged, staggering up from his seat._

“ _Hey. How are things? Have you heard anything yet?”_

_Logan shook his head. “She's still in surgery,” he said. “She's right in there, but they won't let me see her. They told me to wait.”_

“ _Alright.” Mike had hoped for better news, but he willed himself to stay calm. He gave Logan a quick once-over, taking in his rumpled shirt and the state of his hair, looking like he had repeatedly pushed his hands into it. “How are you holding up?”_

“ _I'm fine.” Logan shrugged. “I just can't wrap my head around how all this is happening. It doesn't feel real, I guess. There was supposed to be more time. We were supposed to have another month, and suddenly everything happened at once. God, thank you for coming,” he added as an afterthought. Mike just shook his head._

“ _Of course. How could I not?” He took a seat next to Logan's, releasing a slow breath. “How long has she been in there?”_

“ _I don't know.” Logan looked a little lost. “I don't even remember when we got here. The doctors were all calm and friendly when we arrived and then they ran some kind of test and suddenly she was being taken away so they could induce labor. I had no idea what was going on. The nurses said something about an infection and Rach needing antibiotics and that they had to perform a C-section for some reason, and then she was gone. They won't let me see her, and nobody goddamn tells me anything.” He hung his head, running a trembling hand over his face. “Shit, Mike. This is the worst thing I've ever gone through in my life. If something happens to her-”_

“ _Nothing's going to happen to her. She'll be fine,” Mike told him firmly, because anything else was unthinkable. “And your baby is going to be fine too. They are doing everything they can to help, okay? That's why nobody has told you anything. They're busy making sure Rachel is going to be alright. Just focus on that.”_

_Logan seemed to deflate at his words, the nervous energy fueling his previous barrage of words dissolving into a weariness that made Mike ache with helplessness._

“ _Okay,” he agreed quietly. “Yeah, alright.”_

_Mike squeezed his shoulder before he leaned back, letting out a deep breath as he settled in to wait._

_He had no idea how long these things were supposed to take, but the seemingly endless minutes stretching on were agonizing. His leg twitched restlessly, and Logan next to him radiating barely concealed panic didn't help._

_Not that he blamed him. Mike couldn't stop his mind from going in circles either, the worry for Rachel and the baby almost paralyzing him. Part of him felt the primal need to fill the silence with something, anything that would distract them both from the situation at hand, but even thinking about meaningless chatter felt wrong, so Mike kept his mouth shut and endured the tense silence. He wouldn't have known what to say anyway._

_It felt like hours had passed when a doctor finally approached them, barely opening his mouth before they got to their feet._

“ _What is it?” Logan demanded to know. “Is she alright? Is the baby alright?”_

“ _Your wife is perfectly fine.” They both let out a relieved sigh. “The baby got too little oxygen for a while, so we're still checking him through, but he's alive and kicking. Congratulations. You have a son.”_

“ _I have a son?” Logan repeated, his voice laced with disbelief. “I have-” He shook himself. “Where is he? Can I see him? Can I see Rachel?”_

_The doctor nodded. “I'll show you the way. Your wife is very exhausted, but she's awake.”_

_Logan moved to follow him before he remembered Mike._

“ _Go,” Mike told him when he looked back. “I'll wait here. You should be with them.”_

_Logan nodded. “I'll let you know when you can come in,” he promised._

“ _Alright. And Logan?”_

_He turned back around. “Yes?”_

“ _Congratulations.”_

_A smile spread on Logan's face. “Thank you.”_

_Mike sank back onto his chair once they were out of sight, running a hand over his face. He could still feel the tension like a physical sensation, his mind stuck on_ too little oxygen _and_ checking him through _, but knowing that the baby was alive and Rachel was well took an immense weight off his shoulders. He texted Harvey to let him know what was going on, then settled in to wait again._

_It took a while until he heard back, and Mike had just about enough of contenting himself with watching the nurses and distraught family members passing him when Logan showed up, looking tired and ruffled, but radiating happiness._

“ _They just shifted Rachel and the baby to a private room.”_

“ _Is he alright?”_

_Logan's smile grew. “He's perfect. He's a little small and a little tired from all the effort, but he's fine. He's incredible. Come on,” he said, nodding towards the hall. “I want you to meet him.”_

_The first thing Mike saw when he entered the room were the nurses surrounding the bed, shielding Rachel from his sight. They smiled at him on their way out, giving them some privacy. Rachel was too absorbed to notice him, her eyes only lifting for Logan as he lowered himself next to her. She looked more exhausted than Mike had ever seen her, her skin almost unnaturally pale save for a faint hue of red on her face, a remnant of the exertion of the past few hours. Her hair was in a messy ponytail, a few loose strands falling into her forehead. She didn't seem to notice or care, her entire focus resting on the minuscule bundle she was holding to her chest._

“ _You couldn't do this the normal way, could you? Had to go for the drama.”_

_Mike's voice was rough despite his light tone and he cleared his throat, catching Rachel's attention. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears when she looked up._

“ _Mike. You're here.”_

“ _Of course I am. Where else would I be when my best friend's in labor?” He stepped to her side, sinking onto the bed to give her a closer look. Exhaustion sat in every line of her face, but there was also a gleam of something he had no words for, a happiness that seemed to seep out of her every pore.“You gave us quite the scare there,” he said softly. “How are you feeling?”_

_She let out something between a laugh and a sob. “Overwhelmed,” she told him, shaking her head as she fought for her composure. “I have a son,” she said, two tears rolling down her cheeks even as she gave him a trembling smile. “I have a son, Mike. He's healthy, and he's so beautiful.”_

“ _You do,” Mike agreed, swallowing against the thick sensation lodged in his throat. “You have a beautiful baby boy.” He smiled as he glanced at the bundle, reaching out to brush the baby's hand in awe._

_It was incredible how tiny he was. The sight stole all the air out of Mike's lungs. He looked like a doll, wrinkled and rosy and terrifyingly small in the crook of Rachel's arm. Mike had never seen Nela and Liv this small, and he struggled to comprehend how this tiny human being could exist, live and breathe and one day grow into someone just like them._

“ _God, Rachel. He's incredible.”_

_She nodded mutely, the tears running down her face freely as she cradled him to her chest. “He's a miracle,” she whispered, pressing her lips to his forehead before she inhaled shakily. “I was so scared. I thought I was going to lose him.”_

_Mike nodded as well. “I know. But it's okay now. He's alright, and he's not going anywhere.”_

_He touched the baby's cheek with the back of his finger. His head looked so small next to his hand. His eyes were closed, the tiny lashes fanned out on his round cheek._

“ _Hello,” Mike said quietly. “It's so nice to meet you.”_

_Rachel sniffed, leaning her head against Logan's shoulder, and Mike returned her wet smile when he tore his gaze from the baby to ask, “What's his name?”_

“ _Julius,” Logan and Rachel replied in unison, beaming at each other when their eyes met._

“ _His name is Julius,” Rachel repeated. “Sweetheart, meet your uncle Mike.”_

_Mike swallowed, his arms forming the familiar cradle automatically as Rachel handed him over. It had been a while since he'd carried either of his children like this, but it was one of the things he couldn't unlearn._

“ _Jesus,” Mike whispered, not even caring about blinking back the tears forming behind his lids. The overwhelming mixture of relief at seeing Rachel and the child alright, happiness for her, and the remnants of his earlier worries still lingering in his mind, he couldn't help choking up if he tried. Some things in life just warranted such responses, he supposed._

“ _God, look at the three of us. The only one who isn't crying is the baby.”_

_Mike laughed. “That's gonna come soon enough, believe me.”_

_He closed his eyes as he brushed Julius' forehead with his lips, inhaling the scent that was so unique to babies before handing him to his beaming father. Rachel gazed at her husband, cradling their child to his chest as he rocked him back and forth, before she blinked at Mike._

“ _Hey,” he muttered, the corner of his mouth lifting as he reached out to wipe a fresh trail from her cheek. “It's okay. You're okay. It's over now.”_

“ _I know.” She inhaled sharply. “I just don't think I can ever forget what that felt like. Thinking I'd lose him. I've never been so scared, Mike.”_

“ _Yeah, that's a special kind of hell,” he agreed quietly. “But it won't always be like this. You learn to let go of the fear, even though it's hard. You don't have to spend every minute worrying about him, believe me. You'll be able to enjoy it.”_

_Her throat bobbed as she nodded, blinking repeatedly. “Okay.”_

_When she'd caught a semblance of composure she reached for his hand. “Thank you for coming,” she told him again. “I'm so glad to have you here.”_

_Mike squeezed her hand tightly. “I meant it, Rachel. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.”_

* * *

“Knock knock.”

Harvey glances up from his breakfast. “Liv?”

“Hey, Dad.”

She steps into the room and Harvey waves her over, patting the empty space on his bed. She comes closer, but doesn't sit down.

 _Not that I'm not happy to see you_ , he signs, _but shouldn't you be at school?_

“I'm on my way. Or about to be.” She waves her hand, gnawing her lip as she regards him. Harvey patiently waits for her to find the right words. “I wanted to see you first. I'm sorry I didn't show up yesterday. Or text. Or call.”

“It's alright.”

“No, it's not.” Liv's forehead wrinkles. “I don't deal well with this kind of stuff, you know that. But that's no excuse. If something had been seriously wrong with you and I hadn't been there...”

“Well, there isn't, so everything's fine,” Harvey tells her firmly, wondering how often he is going to have to repeat himself before people believe him. He lifts an eyebrow. “Don't tell me you spent the night worrying about this and that's why you showed up here at the crack of dawn.”

“Fine. I won't tell you.” Liv sucks in her lip. “So you're feeling better?”

“I already did yesterday. I'm just here for some more tests the doctors wanna run.”

She regards him quietly, her lips pressed together before she boxes his arm, then drops on the bed to give him a hug, ignoring his groaning.

“Don't do anything like this ever again,” she mutters.

“I sure as hell won't, if it gets me hooks like that. That's domestic violence, you know.”

He lets out a quiet sigh of relief when that draws a chuckle from her. He pats her back soothingly before she draws back, giving him an unimpressed look. “What are you gonna do, sue me?”

“You do realize I'm a damn great lawyer, don't you?”

“Yeah, well, I know a whole bunch of great lawyers, so. I'll just ask aunt Rachel to represent me.”

“Do you _want_ to tear this family apart?”

She chuckles again, and he grins, reaching out to cover her hand with his.

“Did you talk to your father this morning?”

She nods.

“How is he?”

“Putting on his brave face, I think.”

Harvey sighs. Liv raises her eyebrows. “Hey, he's entitled, okay? At least he has an actual reason to worry. Not like you that one time he broke his arm and you lost it for weeks.”

“You remember that? You were only four when that happened.”

“Vaguely. Nela remembers all of it, though.” She grins. “She told me all the embarrassing details.”

Harvey rolls his eyes. “It's so nice when you team up against me.”

Liv's eyes fall on his abandoned plate. “Is that your breakfast?”

“Yeah.”

“Is it as bad as everyone says it is?” she asks, mildly curious.

Harvey shrugs. “It's alright.”

Liv grins. “Now you're the one putting on your brave face, Dad. Nela should cook you some real breakfast when you're back. I mean, I'd do it, but I think neither of us wants that.” Her smile falters. Harvey can tell she's trying to hide any emotion when she signs instead of asking out loud, _When are you coming home?_

Harvey swallows against the regret welling up in him about the worrying he caused her, his whole family. “Tonight, probably. Tomorrow at the latest. I'll let you know what the doctors said.” He narrows his eyes. “Are you at the ward today?”

“Yeah, until seven.”

“Alright. Then I'll call you afterwards if I have to stay another night.”

“Okay.” She gives him an almost sheepish smile. “I promise I'll pick up this time.”

“You had better,” Harvey tells her mock-sternly. “What else am I supposed to do in this boring hospital when my own daughter won't talk to me?”

She rolls her eyes. “I know for a fact that Nela was here yesterday, and Daddy wouldn't have come home at all if it weren't for me. You had plenty of company.”

Harvey smirks. “You sure you don't wanna go into law after graduation?”

Liv laughs. “We'll see. All in due time, right? First I gotta get through high school.”

“Which you will. Speaking of-” Harvey glances at the clock- “shouldn't you be on your way?”

Liv sighs. “I'm going, I'm going. Honestly, you could start thinking that school's more important than your dad being in the hospital...”

Harvey shakes his head, unable to keep the smile off his face. “Just go,” he instructs. “Have you had breakfast already? You can take half of this with you, you know.”

Liv laughs. “Not in a million years, Dad, but nice try.”

She kisses his cheek, then scrambles up from the bed. “Talk to you tonight?”

“Tonight,” Harvey agrees. “Hey, Liv?”

She turns around, already at the door. “Yeah?”

 _It was good seeing you,_ he signs.

She smiles at him. “Yeah, you too, Dad.”

* * *

_Mike gnawed his lip, waiting for Harvey to pick up. The phone rang endlessly before his voice finally sounded._

“ _What is it? I'm about to head into the meeting.”_

_Mike took a deep breath. “Don't freak out, okay?”_

_Harvey was quiet before he asked flatly, “What did you do?”_

_Mike shut his eyes. “I kind of broke my arm.”_

_The statement was met with silence. Just when Mike was about to ask if Harvey was still there he repeated incredulously, “You_ kind of _broke your arm?”_

“ _Yeah.”_

“ _Where are you?”_

“ _Mount Sinai.”_

“ _I'm coming to you.”_

“ _Harvey, that's really not-”_

_The line went dead before he could finish. Mike let out a sigh, shaking his head._

_Harvey looked thunderous when he arrived, and Mike spared a thought for the nurses in his way as he stormed into the room._

“ _Calm down,” he told him._

“ _I am calm.”_

“ _You don't look like it. Also, seriously, what are you doing here?”_

“ _My husband just told me he 'kind of' broke his arm, what do you think I'm doing here?”_

“ _I'm talking about your meeting, idiot. I'm fine, you really didn't have to come.”_

“ _What the fuck happened?” Harvey demanded to know, ignoring him as he looked at his arm. Despite his apparent anger, his touch was nothing but gentle as he lifted Mike's hand to inspect the cast._

“ _I broke my arm.”_

“ _Yeah, I got that much. What did you do?”_

“ _Why do you just assume I did something? Maybe somebody else was at fault?”_ _Harvey gave him a look, and Mike sighed. “Fine. I slipped and fell. It's a really boring story.”_

_Harvey shook his head. “I can't let you out of my sight,” he muttered._

“ _Hey, this is the first injury I've gotten since we met.”_

“ _Yeah, and you had to go all in and break a bone right away, didn't you?”_

_Mike opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off when Harvey cupped his cheek, his eyes moving over his face. “Are you alright? Are you hurting anywhere else?”_

“ _I'm fine,” Mike assured him. As annoying as the fuss Harvey was making was, the fact that it came from a place of genuine concern was almost endearing. “Just have a nasty bruise on my side. I'll be good as new in no time.”_

“ _You had better,” Harvey told him gloomily. He pressed his lips to Mike's forehead before he drew back. “When can you leave?”_

“ _Soon. I'm just waiting for my prescription.”_

“ _Good. Ray is outside, he'll take us home.”_

“ _What about your meeting?”_

“ _Louis is taking care of it.”_

“ _Oh no,” Mike muttered, but Harvey paid him no mind. He eyed the nurse when she came back with Mike's prescription, asking how often he was supposed to take the painkillers even though she had already told Mike. He rolled his eyes behind his back, only smiling at him when they were ready to go._

_Harvey kept stealing glances at Mike from the corner of his eye on their way home, but Mike ignored them, only covering his hand with his at one point, giving him a reassuring squeeze._

_The girls were quite a bit more impressed by the cast than Harvey when they first laid eyes on it. While Liv ran up to him and tried to grab the foreign object straight away, Nela stared at Mike, her voice filled with worry as she inquired if it hurt._

“ _No, I'm alright, sweetheart. The doctors gave me pills for the pain, it's all good.”_

“ _How long do you have to keep the cast?” she asked, tentatively reaching out to touch it._

“ _A few weeks, probably a month or two. You know what? I'm gonna have to look at this for quite a while, and it does look pretty boring like this, doesn't it?”_

_She nodded. Mike leaned in with a smirk, whispering, “Do you want to draw on it?”_

_Nela's eyes grew wide. “Can I?”_

“ _Of course. Come on, you get the crayons, I'll grab your sister, and then you can start your masterpiece.”_

“ _Yes!” Nela nodded avidly, hurrying to her room while Mike went to fetch Liv._

“ _Liv?”_

_She was kneeling on the floor, her attention on a sheet of paper in front of her._

“ _Liv?” Mike repeated, louder this time, until she heard him and looked up._ What are you doing? Drawing a picture?

“ _I'm drawing you,” she announced, her tongue peeking out between her lips as she chose a new color._

“ _You are? Let me see,” Mike asked, crouching down beside her. He smiled at the stick figure on the paper. “That's really nice, love. Now, do you want to finish this later and draw on Daddy's arm instead? You and Nela can make a picture together.”_

_She nodded, taking his hand when he held it out to her with a smile, and he spared a thought for how glad he was that he'd only broken his arm now that she was too big to carry around all the time._

“ _Okay, I'm ready,” he announced when he dropped on the sofa, Liv in his lap and Nela next to him. “Knock yourselves out, guys.”_

_Liv went straight for the crayons while Nela gazed at Mike's arm thoughtfully, biting her lip before finally choosing a color._

“ _Be careful,” Harvey warned as he passed them. Glancing at Mike's face, he asked, “Is that okay? You're not in pain when they're drawing on you?”_

“ _Not at all,” Mike said, giving Nela a reassuring nod when she glanced at him. She inspected his face, then took his arm and started drawing careful, deliberate lines._

_Mike watched his daughters tackle their task with the utmost attention, submitting to their flights of fancy with a smile. His arm still hurt, but it was only a dull ache, numbed by the painkillers. It was well worth the avid expressions on the girls' faces as they covered him in colorful shapes and crooked letters that spelled out their names, Liv's almost illegible. She had only recently learned to write her name, proudly putting the letters everywhere now._

_He looked up when he noticed Harvey leaning in the doorway, watching them silently._

_Raising his brows, he teased, "You wanna draw something as well?”_

_He expected him to give him a look, but Harvey just narrowed his eyes, stepping in to grab one of the crayons._

“ _Oh god. Seriously?”_

“ _You asked. Stop moving, I have to write something.”_

_Mike tried to sit still and wait, he really did, but he couldn't hold the questions back. Harvey was taking his sweet time with each letter, knowing exactly how impatient he was._

“ _Are you gonna tattoo one of your famous life lessons on it?” Mike asked, trying to steal a glance at what Harvey was doing. “Am I gonna walk around with a Harveyism on my arm for a month for everyone to enjoy, like, don't play the odds, play the man or something?”_

“ _A Harveyism?” Harvey repeated, scoffing. “You're ridiculous.”_

_He tapped his crayon against Mike's cast, then added a final touch before he let go. Mike craned his neck, reading the message he'd left him._

Don't slip again. _And beneath that, in smaller letters, almost as if only for Mike to see,_ Take care. -H.

_Mike laughed. “You're an idiot, you know that?”_

“ _You're the one who slipped and broke his own arm,” Harvey pointed out before kissing his temple._

“ _Dad, you're in the way,” Liv told him with a scowl. Harvey straightened, brushing her hair behind her ear._

“ _Sorry, Liv. What are you drawing there?”_

“ _A dog.”_

“ _I see. Does the dog have a cast too?”_

_She nodded._

“ _What color is it?”_

_Liv frowned, giving him a hesitant look. “Brown?”_

_She was currently learning to tell colors apart, and while she already knew blue, green, and red, she still had trouble with the rest._

_Harvey nodded._ “ _That's right. And this over here? What Nela is drawing?”_

“ _Blue!” she told him, more self-assured._

“ _Exactly. Well done, baby. Now be careful with your daddy's arm, alright? We don't wanna hurt him.”_

_She shook her head, reaching for another crayon. “Red,” she muttered to herself. Mike caught Harvey's eyes, exchanging a smile with him._

“ _That looks amazing,” he then told Nela. “Are those flowers?”_

“ _Yes. And a cup of tea to make you better,” she added, pointing at a miniature doodle._

“ _That's lovely. Thank you very much.”_

_Mike let the girls have their fun, praising their masterpiece to the heavens when they were done before holding out his healthy arm._

“ _Alright, who wants to cuddle?”_

“ _Me!” Liv exclaimed, flinging herself at his chest. Nela finished putting away the crayons – Harvey's endless reminders to tidy up after herself had left a mark – before jumping back on the sofa to join them._

“ _Come here, that's it,” Mike muttered, dropping a kiss on her head when she'd latched herself to his side._

“ _Does it hurt now, Daddy?”_

“ _No, it's fine. And you know what? I'm sure your pretty picture is gonna make it better in no time.”_

_She beamed at him, and he pulled her closer, smiling as he thought about how even something as annoying as a broken bone could have its good sides._

_His daughters' doodles and Harvey's message stayed on his arm for four weeks, and Mike grinned whenever his eyes fell on his cast. It felt like carrying a bit of his family around with himself, and he found that it made his reduced mobility decidedly more bearable._

_While he was handling the situation rather well, Harvey... wasn't._

_He didn't lose his mind over the matter, but Mike sometimes questioned in the privacy of his own head how the man known as King of the courtroom could fixate on something as inconsequential as a broken arm so thoroughly._

_Mike was only glad that neither of their children had broken anything so far, and he hoped to God that it would stay that way. Worried Harvey was a force to behold, his expression turning thunderous whenever Mike winced in pain as if he'd held his arm wrong on purpose, his eyes glued to him to detect any signs of discomfort constantly._

_He wouldn't let him carry the groceries, or anything heavy for that matter, he kept asking if he was in pain until Mike told him that he would be if he asked one more time, and they nearly had a fight over Mike going back to work because as much as Harvey valued simple logic, Mike telling him that sitting in his office wouldn't strain his arm at all didn't cut it._

_It was enough to drive anyone insane, and Mike resisted telling him to stop making a fuss repeatedly only because the worry in Harvey's eyes was stronger than Mike's annoyance at being mothered. And anyway, it was kind of amusing when it didn't make him go up the walls (which he knew better than to mention out loud)._

_So Mike endured his theatrics until the cast came off, wrapping both his arms around Harvey for the first time in ages as he said, “There, see? All of your worrying was totally unnecessary, I'm all good again.”_

“ _I never worry unnecessarily,” Harvey told him, but he took Mike's arm to place a kiss on the pale skin before pulling him close again, holding onto him like Mike had survived something much worse than a broken bone._

“ _Of course you don't,” Mike muttered, smiling when Harvey started nuzzling his neck in a blatant attempt to distract him. If he sometimes brushed his lips over Mike's arm before letting out a quiet sigh, Mike never said a word about it._

* * *

“Hello? Anyone home?”

Harvey drops his keys on the counter, raising his voice when he spots Liv on the sofa with a book in her hands. “Liv, I'm home!”

She looks up, breaking into a smile. “Dad! Hey!”

She jumps up to cross the room. Harvey hugs her, smiling as the familiar scent of her hair fills his nose.

“How are you?”

“I'm perfect. Never been better.”

She beams at him. “Good. It's nice to have you home.”

“Good to be back, believe me,” Harvey tells her with a roll of his eyes, making her laugh. He turns around to unpack his bag, but stops short when he spots the assembly of groceries in the kitchen. There are three different kinds of oats, several boxes of blueberries, a bar of dark chocolate, multitudes of lemons and oranges, something that looks like tofu, green tea, and – most disturbing of all – kale.

Turning back to Liv, Harvey asks, “Is Nela here?”

“No, why?”

“It looks like she wants to experiment in the kitchen again,” he says, nodding towards the food.

“Oh no, that was all daddy.” Liv gives him an exasperated look, shaking her head before going back to her book. Harvey blinks at the food, then chooses to ignore it for the time being.

Mike gets back a while after him. Harvey emerges from the bedroom when he hears the front door, smiling slightly as he watches him take off his jacket.

“When was the last time I got home before you?”

Mike's eyes shoot up. He knew Harvey was being released because he texted him earlier, but the look on his face is still one of relief.

“Hey. You're home.”

“Told you I'd be out of there in no time.”

Mike drops his jacket on a chair, crossing the distance between them to wrap his arms around him in a tight hug. Harvey pulls Mike closer as he returns the embrace, inhaling the familiar scent clinging to him, equaling comfort and home.

“I'm so glad you're back,” Mike mutters into his shoulder.

“Me too.” Harvey presses his lips to his temple and Mike draws back to kiss him properly before he lets him go.

“What did the doctors say?”

Harvey glances at his hands. “Not much. I'm good to go back to work, just gotta take the pills they gave me twice a day.”

Mike frowns. “You don't have to rest or watch your diet or anything? The pills are enough?”

“Yeah. Told you, it's nothing serious.” Harvey lifts his eyebrows. “Speaking of, what's up with all that stuff?”

“What stuff?”

Mike follows his gaze when Harvey nods towards the kitchen.

“Oh, that. I researched what people with heart diseases should eat and this is what came up.”

“I don't have-” Harvey protests, but Mike holds up a hand.

“Stop right there. Resistance is futile. We're gonna cook this, you're gonna eat it, and you're gonna enjoy the hell out of it too.”

“Well, if you cook it, that's up for debate.”

Mike slaps his arm.

“Ow. I can tell I was missed,” Harvey says dryly.

Mike regards him, then smiles a little. “You were.”

“Ugh, guys,” Liv remarks when he gives him another kiss, happily ignoring her presence. “Seriously, you would think dad's been gone for weeks,” she mutters as she passes them, and Harvey feels Mike smiling against his lips before he pulls back.

Once Mike has welcomed him enough, they go back to their usual routine, and Harvey is glad about it. He settles down with a file, earning himself a disapproving look from Mike that he only returns blankly. Mike goes to prepare dinner soon, while Liv lounges in her room until the food's ready.

“What exactly is that?” Harvey inquires when he's through with his file, stepping behind Mike to glance into the pot.

“A stew. I found it on the internet. I have no idea if it's any good, but I figured it doesn't hurt to try it.”

“You sure?” Harvey asks, unconvinced. “I mean, if there's kale in it...”

“Stop whining. This is good for you. If you can work out, you can watch your diet. And anyway, there's blueberries and chocolate for dessert. I know you like that.”

“At least there's something to look forward to.”

“Come on, work with me here. Look at the bright side, it's gotta be better than the stuff they served you in the hospital,” Mike says, the final words getting cut off by a song starting to play from Liv's room on maximum volume. Harvey startles, nearly dropping his glass at the sound.

“What the-” he mutters, barely hearing his own voice over the music. “I thought we talked about this.” He heads for Liv's room, raising his voice to yell, “Liv! Turn that down or you're gonna get deaf in your other ear too!”

He's almost positive that she can't hear him and so he pounds on her door, glaring at her until she turns the song down with a roll of her eyes.

“Good god,” he calls out, shaking his head. “Didn't I teach you that music should be enjoyed at a reasonable volume?”

“I can't _hear_ it then,” Liv points out, and Harvey only shakes his head at the exchange they must have had a dozen times by now.

When he returns to the kitchen, Mike grins.

“Good to be back home, huh?” he asks, and Harvey smiles too, because it _is_ good to be back and deal with the usual chaos of their lives rather than the worried faces of his family and people treating him like he's made of glass.

It gets even better when Mike and him go to bed that night after an evening consisting of Harvey and Liv making fun of the food and Mike pretending to be offended before threatening to withhold the chocolate. Liv has long retreated to her room for the night, and if Mike hadn't made the first step by practically clinging to Harvey all evening, Harvey would have gladly seduced Mike into a long overdue session in bed.

He sighs when they sink onto the mattress together, Mike's naked skin on his stirring all the right sensations in him. It's been too long since they've done this, much too long since they had a moment to themselves with all the turmoil of the past days.

Mike clearly shares the sentiment, unable to decide whether he wants to keep kissing Harvey or touch him. His lips are warm and familiar on his, and Harvey closes his eyes when he finally decides to follow the path of his hands and kiss a trail down the length of his body.

“God, yeah, that's good,” Harvey murmurs, sliding a hand into Mike's hair to keep him going. It's a simple touch, not even explicitly sexual, but it's filled to the brim with intimacy and gentle affection that Harvey craves as much as his release, if not more.

“I've missed you,” Mike mutters, dropping kisses on his belly, his fingers digging into his side. “I'm so glad you're home.”

He nudges Harvey's knees apart to settle between them, kissing the inside of his thigh before he nuzzles his erection. His hot breath brushes his cock, his hands never leaving him, and it feels so good that Harvey can only throw his head back and groan.

A second later the sensation is gone. Harvey blinks his eyes open, raising his head to glance at Mike.

Mike has drawn back, staring at him as he asks, “You okay?”

“I was until you stopped,” Harvey says, lifting his brows. Mike's eyes seem to bore into his, wide and alert, before he nods and lowers his head to place another kiss on Harvey's belly.

“Okay. Just relax, I'll take care of you.”

He starts attending to his erection again, and Harvey settles back in with a sigh. He couldn't care less about what they do as long as he gets to feel Mike close, but Mike seems to have decided that he's going to suck Harvey off tonight. All the better, he thinks. With the way Mike is teasing him into desperation, the echo of his touch lingering all over him, he wouldn't have the patience for anything else.

Mike knows precisely how to work Harvey into a state of arousal that leaves him breathless with pleasure, the same way Harvey knows Mike's body inside and out. His eyes fall shut as Mike's lips wrap around his cock and he gives himself over to the sensation, his mounting pleasure pulling him under all too soon. It's been too long, and now it's too much too fast, Mike swallowing him down just right, his tongue joining his lips in their steady ministrations, ensuring that Harvey is definitely not going to last.

“Mike,” he groans, and Mike just hums around his cock, the vibrations going straight through him, giving his hand a squeeze to signal that it's fine. So Harvey closes his eyes and lets go, surrendering to the heavenly feeling building somewhere low in his stomach before it takes over, pulsing through every part of him.

Mike pulls back seconds before Harvey is coming, stroking him through it while he kisses his thigh until Harvey feels utterly spent, trying to catch his breath. He can feel him disappearing quickly, then wiping him clean before he scrambles up the bed, entangling his legs with Harvey's as he settles half on top of him. Harvey smiles lazily at the erection poking his side.

“Hi,” he tells him, his voice a rough rumble.

“Hey.” Mike stretches to give him a kiss, lingering on his lips before he pulls back. “Feeling alright?”

“I'd say that's an understatement.” Harvey wraps an arm around Mike's back, letting out a deep breath. “I missed you too. It's been too long.”

“It definitely has.”

Harvey accepts another kiss, then pats Mike's shoulder.

“Now let me,” he mutters, rolling them over. Mike bites his lip when he is flat on his back, giving him a hesitant look, but then drops his head.

“It's not gonna take long,” is all he says, and Harvey just kisses him in reply, his fingers teasing at Mike's cock.

“Yeah,” Mike murmurs, his lips parting as he gazes at him. Harvey smirks, moving to slide down his body, but is held back by Mike's grip on his shoulder. When he looks up, Mike shakes his head.

“Your hand, your hand is enough. I wanna see you.”

Harvey returns his gaze, then nods. “I'm here,” he murmurs, placing a kiss on his lips – one benefit of hand jobs – as he starts stroking him. Mike sighs, winding himself around him as he guides him with the sounds he's making.

He really isn't going to take long, if his ragged breathing is any indication, but that's okay. Harvey doesn't need any drawn-out lovemaking tonight. He just needs affirmation, and clearly Mike does as well.

“Feel good?” he asks, his lips moving over Mike's jaw.

Mike nods. He has an arm wrapped around him, his other hand digging into his shoulder as he bites his lip.

“God, yeah, yeah, do that again...”

They don't say much else, Mike panting into his ear along with the occasional moans slipping in, and Harvey has him right where he wants in minutes.

“I've got you, let go,” he encourages him, and that seems to be all Mike needs. His nails leave marks in Harvey's skin as he comes, his body going rigid as he spends himself before sinking into the covers.

“Tissue's over there,” he mutters, his tongue heavy with satisfaction, and Harvey wipes his hand and Mike's belly quickly before returning to his side.

Mike has caught his breath, his eyes resting on him.

“I love you,” he tells him quietly.

“I love you too.”

Mike rolls over when Harvey settles in next to him, resting his head right over his heart. Harvey pulls the covers over both of them, wrapping an arm around him once they're comfortable.

Mike inhales deeply, his fingers curling on Harvey's chest. He seems to be absorbed in the sound of his heartbeat and so Harvey lets him be rather than talking, instead listening to Mike's even breathing until he drifts off.


	2. Chapter 2

_Mike remembered it like it was yesterday. He didn't think any parent could ever forget something like that, but he could still hear the exact tone of Harvey's voice as he'd said from where he was playing with the kids on the floor, “Mike, I think there's something wrong with Liv.”_

_There weren't many things that really, actually scared Mike. Not after everything he'd lived through. But the idea of something happening to his children? He couldn't imagine anything worse._

“ _What? What do you mean?”_

_He tried to ignore the growing pit in his stomach, but if Harvey's voice hadn't told him that this was serious, the deep crease on his forehead would have done it. Mike got up before he could say anything, crouching down beside him._

_Harvey didn't even look up. His eyes were fixed on Liv._

“ _It's her hearing. I don't think she can hear us.”_

_Mike swallowed. He glanced at Harvey, then called Liv's name quietly. She didn't react._

“ _That's normal, isn't it?” Mike asked into the tense silence, but he knew even as he said it that it wasn't._

“ _I don't know. It's like sometimes she hears us, but other times it takes her forever to pick up on our voices, if she does at all.” Harvey paused. “Nela never did that.”_

_He was right._

_And it wasn't just that. Mike had noticed it too, it just hadn't seemed important before. Liv was two now, and while the other children at the day care were starting to articulate simple sentences, she still barely spoke. And when she did it was hard to understand, her enunciation a little off, her voice a little too loud. Mike had noticed, of course he had, but he hadn't thought anything of it. Nela had spoken much clearer at this age, but he knew that every child developed at a different pace._

_But now that he thought about it, the signs were starting to pile up._

“ _Liv,” he said, keeping his voice even. “Liv, can you look at daddy for a second? Liv?”_

_He swallowed when she kept playing without any visible reaction, doing his best to quash the dread pooling in his stomach as he tried calling her again and again._

_It took a long time before she looked up, and when she did, it wasn't really a relief._

_How had they not realized sooner?_

“ _Shit, Harvey,” Mike muttered. His first instinct was to apologize for cursing in front of the kids, and a hysterical laugh rose in him when it crossed his mind that Liv might not even have heard. He let out a jittery breath, running a hand over his mouth. “Shit, what are we- what do we do?”_

_Harvey covered Mike's hand with his, then got up in silence to grab his phone. He made a call to schedule them an appointment while Mike tried to get Liv to listen from different angles with varying results._

_Sometimes she seemed to hear them, and sometimes she just... didn't._

_It hadn't always been like this, but upon reflection Mike realized that the instances had steadily grown more frequent over the past few months. He berated himself for turning a blind eye despite Harvey's insistence that neither of them could have known. He meant well, but the effect of his words was somewhat diminished by the fact that Mike knew Harvey blamed himself too._

_He tried not to dwell on it as they waited for their appointment, but it proved to be impossible not to. Talk about not thinking of the blue elephant. He spent his free time trying to determine a pattern to Liv's hearing or lack thereof and reading up on hearing loss in children when Harvey wasn't there because he knew he shouldn't meet trouble halfway but there was no way he_ couldn't _, and deep down Mike had already known, but it was still a shock to hear the doctor say, “Your daughter is going to be deaf in one ear.”_

“ _Is there anything we can do?” Harvey asked immediately, his hand digging into Mike's almost painfully._

“ _I'm afraid not. Liv has moderately severe hearing loss in her right ear, caused by congenital damage to the auditory nerve. Her hearing will steadily get worse until it's almost or entirely gone.”_

“ _What about surgery? Could she get a CI?” Harvey wanted to know, but he was frowning, and Mike understood why. The idea of putting their baby girl through the ordeal of surgery before weeks or months of recovery made him sick too._

“ _While there's new research being conducted on the matter, our current knowledge is that hearing aids don't work when the auditory nerve is damaged, so a Cochlear implant is not an option in this case. Neither is surgery, since neural hearing loss is generally irreversible. I'm afraid there is nothing we can do to stop your daughter's hearing from receding further.”_

_Mike heaved a quiet sigh of relief before immediately berating himself for it, feeling almost ashamed. While part of him was relieved that they wouldn't have to put Liv through surgery, it also meant that there was nothing they could do to stop her from becoming deaf. Wouldn't that have been the better option?_

_Harvey seemed to struggle with the same conflict. Mike gripped his hand tightly. At least he didn't have to face this on his own._

“ _What about her other ear?” he asked, swallowing down the dread rising in him. “Will she keep hearing with that or is she going to be entirely deaf one day?”_

“ _The auditory nerve of her left ear shows no sign of damage, so she'll probably keep her hearing in it. There's nothing suggesting otherwise.” The doctor sat back, smiling at Liv in Harvey's lap, oblivious to the entire conversation. “It certainly makes things easier for her and for you.”_

_Harvey let out a deep breath, his arm around Liv tightening. “So what do we do?”_

“ _In general? Be patient. Your daughter is going to need more attention and more understanding than a hearing child. Imagine it like this – you learn a foreign language at school before being dropped in a room full of native speakers with heavy accents. You'll understand some things and deduce others, but some are just going to pass you by. That's what being hard of hearing is like. Now, I suggest you make an appointment with a consultant right away. There are several guides I can recommend you as well, and I'll give you some material to read at home.”_

_The doctor regarded them with a reassuring smile. “Raising a child that is hard of hearing can be challenging, but it can be done. As for Liv, she's never going to know anything else, so this won't be an adjustment for her. Since the hearing in her left ear is fine, she won't face the same issues a deaf child has. Learning sign language might be useful, but she's going to learn how to speak too, probably just at a slower pace. She might speak louder or less clearly than hearing children, but communication won't be a big problem. Speech therapy might help as well, depending on how well she picks up on language in the coming months.”_

_And it went on like that. The doctor told them everything there was to know about raising a deaf kid, sending them home with a bunch of info leaflets and a little weight off their shoulders._

_They drove home in silence, each hanging after their own thoughts. Mike's head was buzzing with all the new input. He put Liv on the floor when they got home, sinking down on the sofa. Harvey joined him there, and together they looked at her, playing with her bricks without a care in the world._

_Neither of them had spoken about the issue since they'd left the doctor's office, and there were countless things they had yet to discuss, but for now the silence persisted, interrupted only by Liv's occasional babbling and the clattering of her bricks. All sounds she probably couldn't hear, Mike realized._

“ _So what?” he finally said into the quiet. “So what if she's deaf in one ear? Hell, what if she does get deaf in both of them? It's not the end of the world. There are worse things to happen.”_

_Harvey's gaze moved from him to Liv. “There are,” he agreed quietly. “Look at her. She's fine. She's happy.”_

“ _She is, isn't she?”_

_The news had changed everything, but in the end they changed nothing at all. It had come as a shock, yes, and it was going to be an adjustment, but there were worse things. Liv could very well grow old and happy with this disability. It would impact her, but not in ways that were unmanageable. She wouldn't have to stop living her life or miss out on anything essential. She was only going to experience things a little differently, that was all._

_She was still Liv, just in need of a little more patience and care than before. She was still their daughter, still lively and passionate and full of drive, and if anyone could defy the obstacles a disability like this brought with it, it was her._

_When he looked at Harvey, Mike saw the same sentiment in his expression._

“ _She's going to be fine,” Mike said with conviction, believing it with every fiber of his being. They had faced worse things. Liv was already a fighter, their little bundle of energy and determination. She would prove everyone wrong who dared to think she was somehow less capable because of this._

_Harvey just took his hand, saying, “She's our daughter. Of course she's going to be.”_

* * *

“Hey, you're early!”

“Yup! My last course got canceled. Hi, Daddy.”

Nela plants a kiss on Mike's cheek, then walks up to the sofa, tapping Liv's shoulder before giving her a quick hug. “Alright?”

“Yeah. You?”

“I'm great. Uni was amazing today. You know the lecturer I told you about? The one who always teaches from the back of the classroom to mix things up? He gave us all an analysis of the short stories we had to hand in, telling us what worked and what didn't and what authors the story reminded him of.”

“Cool!” Liv looks impressed. “If our teachers ever went through so much trouble for us, maybe I'd actually enjoy going to school.” She raises her eyebrows. “So what did he say about yours?”

Nela smiles. “He liked it. I have his review here, do you wanna read it?”

“Sure!”

“I wanna see it too when you're done,” Mike remarks.

“See what?” Harvey asks, returning from the bedroom that moment.

“Dad, hey.” Nela gets up, engulfing him in a big hug. Harvey pats her back, the corner of his mouth lifting.

“Hey, sweetheart. Had a good week?”

“It just got much better now that I've seen you're back on your feet.” She draws back. “You're okay? Taking your pills and everything?”

“Dutifully twice a day under the watchful eyes of your father,” Harvey tells her, shooting him a longsuffering look. Mike returns it dryly.

“Nela was just telling us about the short story she had to write,” he then changes the subject. “Apparently the lecturer liked it.”

Harvey huffs. “Of course he did. It's amazing.”

All three of them were consulted before Nela handed it in, and while she's usually the first to find the flaws in her writing, they are the first to praise it. Not just out of support, but because it's genuinely good.

“Yeah, yeah, I'm the next big thing, I know.” She rolls her eyes, but gives Harvey a grateful smile when he isn't looking. When she glances at the clock, she asks, “So, any plans for dinner?”

Harvey sighs. “Your father insists on balancing out my diet with so-called superfoods, so all we have in the house right now is extremely healthy and unexciting.”

“That's very responsible of him.”

Mike grins while Harvey rolls his eyes. “Thanks, Nela.”

“I got your back, Daddy,” she says, patting his shoulder. “So what do we have in?”

She wrinkles her nose when she finds the selection. “Okay. Well.”

“ _You_ could cook something tonight,” Liv suggests, smirking at Mike when he narrows his eyes at her. While his cooking has improved considerably over the years he never quite reached Nela's level, or even Harvey's, for that matter.

When Nela glances at him, he sighs.

“Oh, whatever. Feel free to take over the kitchen any time you want, I only do the cooking when no one else does anyway. Just for the record, I'm feeling very unappreciated here.”

“There's no need for that,” Harvey tells him, squeezing his shoulder in passing.

He shoos Liv from the sofa until she grudgingly makes space for him, calling out, “Yeah, Daddy, we love you.”

“Just not your cooking,” Nela adds, grinning at Mike before joining them.

“So, now that you're back home...” She lifts her eyebrows, and Harvey gives an exaggerated sigh.

“Alright, let's hear it.”

“Hear what?” Mike asks, dropping on the sofa as well. Nela promptly plants her feet in his lap.

“Your daughter brought me a case,” Harvey explains, adding with a meaningful look, “A pro bono.”

Mike lifts his brows. “Really? Oh, I see. When she brings you a pro bono she's my daughter. When she graduates top of her class she's yours.”

“Let's agree that I'm a product of shared effort,” Nela remarks.

“I can live with that. So,” Mike says, tilting his head. “What's the case?”

“You remember Bonnie, right? You know how she grew up with her grandfather? He's in his eighties and he's been in a home for the past three years, but now the insurance is pulling out. They just stopped covering the expenses because of incorrect procedure or something, I don't know the details. Bonnie says that none of her siblings can afford a decent lawyer. Her grandfather's been transferred to a state facility outside the city. They barely get to see him.” She presses her lips together as she looks at Harvey. “I told her you could fix it.”

Harvey has listened in silence. “Well, that sounds simple enough.”

“So you'll take care of it?”

Harvey scoffs. “Please, it'll be done before you know it. Just give her my number, tell her to call me at the office tomorrow. I'll handle everything else.”

“ _Thank_ you.” Nela squeezes his hand. “You're the best, Dad.”

“Yeah, I'm amazing, I know.”

“Always so humble,” Mike mutters.

“You're the one who married me, so I know you're into it on some level,” Harvey points out. Nela and Liv both make a face, their expressions so similar that Mike only laughs.

“Speaking of, you know what's also amazing?” Harvey asks, touching Nela's thigh. “The chapter you gave me to read. Seriously, it was a good thing I had nothing else to do because I didn't wanna put it down. I can give you my notes later, but there wasn't much to criticize.”

“Great.” Nela looks relieved. “Thanks.”

“You writing a new story?” Liv asks.

“Yeah. It's still far from finished, but I like how it's coming along.”

“Cool. Let me read it when it's ready, alright?”

Nela smiles. “Sure.”

Liv nods and returns to her book, and Nela asks Harvey a few more questions before she claps her hands, glancing at the clock.

“Alright, I think I'm gonna start with dinner. It's gonna take a while to make something edible out of all that.”

“Want any help?” Mike asks, and she smiles as she pushes herself up.

“As long as you do as I say, sure.”

As if Mike would dare doing something as foolish as crossing his daughter in the kitchen.

“You're the boss,” he agrees easily, trailing after her.

* * *

_Harvey found them by accident, but he couldn't help being glad that he did later on._

_He didn't even think anything of them at first, the only reason the paper caught his eye being the mess it created on the counter. He gathered the sheets, skimming the text as he headed for Nela's room._

“ _Nela, did you leave these lying around?”_

_He trailed off at the end of the question, blinking as he focused on what he was reading._

“ _Leave what?”_

“ _These notes,” Harvey muttered absently, his attention diverted by what he was beginning to realize was a story._

_Nela glanced up, her eyes growing almost comically wide before she leaped from her sheets, rumpling the paper as she ripped it from his hands._

“ _Yeah, they're mine,” she said. Harvey blinked at her, noting the flush spreading on her cheeks._

_Leaning in the doorway, he asked curiously, “What are they?”_

“ _Just something I wrote,” Nela mumbled, not meeting his eyes._

“ _Like a story?”_

_She nodded reluctantly, clutching the sheets tightly, and Harvey, sensing that she didn't want to tell him about it, withdrew to the living room._

_He'd had no idea that writing was something Nela was interested in, never mind actually tried her hand at. It wasn't really surprising though, with the way she'd loved books from the beginning._

_He hadn't read much of her story, but what he'd seen hadn't been half bad for something a fifteen-year-old had written. And even if it had been, if writing was something she was passionate about, Harvey would sure as hell support her anyway. There was nothing some hard work couldn't achieve, after all._

_With that thought in mind, he headed downtown during his lunch break a few days later, picking out a beautiful notebook and an expensive pen that he felt would suit Nela perfectly._

_He knocked on her room that night before Mike and Liv came home, leaning in the doorway when she looked up. “You got a minute?”_

“ _Sure.”_

_She closed her laptop as he joined her on the bed. “I have something for you.”_

_She lifted her eyebrows. “You do? What for?”_

“ _Just so. I thought you could use it.” He handed her the bag with a small smile, nodding her to open it. Her eyes widened when she glanced inside._

“ _Dad, what...”_

_She swallowed as she took out the book and the pen, her fingers brushing the cover lightly._

“ _I didn't know you were into writing, but I can tell that it's something you feel strongly about,” Harvey told her gently. “It's alright if you don't want to share that with us, but I thought you should have somewhere to put it.”_

_She glanced at him through her lashes. “It's beautiful,” she whispered._

_Harvey smiled. “I'm glad you like it. And I'm sure you're gonna fill it with words that are just as beautiful.” He cupped her face, brushing her cheek with his thumb before he got up._

“ _Thank you, Dad,” Nela said when he was almost at the door._

“ _You're welcome.”_

_Harvey looked back before leaving her room, biting back a chuckle when he saw that she had already opened the book._

_They didn't talk about it after that, Harvey respecting her wish to keep this private despite the curiosity gnawing at him, until one afternoon several months later. Harvey hadn't forgotten about the journal, smiling whenever he caught a glimpse of it in her room, but he hadn't expected her to be the one to raise the topic again._

_It was just the two of them at home, Mike and Liv out somewhere with Rachel and Julius, and Harvey looked up when he felt a prickling sensation at the back of his neck. He found Nela hovering in the doorway, her hands behind her back as she bit her lip._

“ _You have to promise to be honest,” she told him._

“ _...Okay?” Harvey said slowly._

_She took a deep breath when he turned to her, then stepped into the room. “I... wrote something again.”_

_Harvey raised his eyebrows. “Okay,” he repeated, waiting for her to continue. His eyes fell on the journal she'd held behind her back._

“ _Ah, god,” she muttered, shaking her head like she was annoyed at herself. “This isn't easy for me.”_

 _Harvey could tell_ , _but he kept quiet, waiting for her to find the words in her own time. She fiddled with the journal's worn edges, then looked up._

“ _I'd like for you to read it. If you want to. But I need you to be honest. If it sucks, you_ have _to tell me.”_

_Harvey raised his eyebrows. “You really want me to read it?”A smile spread on his face when she nodded. “Come here,” he asked, waving her over._

“ _I would love to read anything you've written,” he told her when she leaned against the desk. “And I promise to be completely and entirely honest.” He smirked. “Mostly because I know how stubborn you are, and even if I didn't like it, which I'm sure won't be the case, you'd just be that much more determined to get better.”_

_She laughed at that, nudging him with her knee. “Thank you.”_

“ _No, thank_ you _,” Harvey gave back. “For trusting me with this.”_

_She smiled, nodding before holding out the journal with a deep breath. “It starts where the bookmark is,” she told him._

_And that was how it began. She didn't let him read everything she wrote, always taking a long time before she deemed a story ready to be viewed by someone else, if at all, but over time Harvey got to see more and more. And he'd been right. Nela wrote better at fifteen than some published authors he'd encountered. They discussed tricky parts and wonky bits together, Harvey watching with pride how her style evolved over time, but the creativity behind it had been there from the start. Harvey admired it, and he never failed to tell her that, the elation at seeing what his daughter had inside her head making his chest swell._

_Eventually Mike was let in on the discussions too, after she made him swear to be honest as well, and the look of astonished pride in Mike's eyes after he finished reading her stories was a perfect mirror image of what Harvey felt._

“ _Our daughter is going to write the next Great American Novel one day,” he told him, and Mike only laughed._

“ _Oh, after reading this I have no doubt that she will.”_

* * *

Spending time with his family is one thing. Harvey is the first to jump at the chance, especially now that he sees much less of Nela during the week.

Being forced to sit still and not do any work after already being confided to a hospital room for two days is quite another.

By the time Nela leaves after lunch on Sunday Harvey has had about enough of resting, feeling ready to go up the walls. He glances at the clock, then pushes himself from the sofa and knocks on Liv's door.

“Hey, you got anything on this afternoon?”

“Well, I should be doing some reading for school but I'm more inclined to do that tomorrow over breakfast, so...” She lifts an eyebrow, and Harvey, despite knowing that he shouldn't encourage her procrastination, smiles.

“What do you say, we grab our stuff and head to the gym for a boxing session?”

Her face lights up. “Sure!”

They started going boxing together some years ago now, finally figuring out something Liv was interested in longer than a few weeks. There are countless things she has tried out so far, losing interest in most of them after a short while, but boxing somehow stuck. Harvey thinks she enjoys the mechanics of it, getting to engage with another person with no one yelling instructions at her that she can't hear. And she's gotten quite good at it, too. They don't go boxing with any regularity, but Harvey always enjoys their sessions when they can squeeze one in. It's a good workout as much as a great opportunity to spend time with his daughter, and right now it's just the thing he needs.

Mike comes in when they're grabbing some water from the kitchen, his eyes catching on their attire. “Where are you two going?”

“Boxing,” Harvey tells him.

Mike halts in his movements. “Oh.” He bites his lip, staring at him. “You sure you feel up to it?”

Harvey rolls his eyes. “Why wouldn't I? I don't know how many times you want me to tell you that I'm fine, but I'm _fine_ , Mike. Besides, you're the one who did all the research about 'heart diseases', you should know that working out is good for my health.”

Mike opens his mouth to protest, then shuts it with a click. “You're right, sorry.” He purses his lips, his forehead creased in a frown. “Just take care, okay? You too,” he tells Liv, who just gives him a look.

“Really, Daddy, what do you think's going to happen? I'll knock him out with my mean right hook?”

“You do have a mean right hook,” Harvey says, not without pride. They exchange a smile before he turns to Mike, lifting his chin gently until he looks at him.

“We'll be fine, we'll be careful, and we'll have a great, much needed workout. Stop worrying that pretty head of yours or you're gonna end up getting more frown lines than me.”

Mike still looks troubled, but the corner of his mouth lifts as Harvey hoped it would. “Did you just admit to having wrinkles?”

“I did no such thing. Come on, Liv,” he calls out before Mike can protest, noting the growing smile on his face with satisfaction. “Let's get going.”

Liv suggests that they use the punching bags before they head to the ring, and Harvey agrees readily. He holds himself back when they're sparring, of course, but it fills him with pride whenever he remembers that he doesn't need to hold back all that much. Liv can hold her own alright, and not rarely he has to watch out not to obtain a minor injury once she gets started. Still, it's good to just punch out his frustration about the past few days before they hit the ring.

It's liberating to feel the pounding of his heart, to focus on nothing but Liv's and his own elevated breathing as they tire themselves out, and when they get back, Mike almost manages to hide the relief on his face.

“Had a good time?”

“Yeah. Your daughter's a force to behold,” Harvey tells him.

“Oh, don't I know it,” Mike says, smiling as he looks at her.

“I know, I'm awesome, right?”

She drops her bag on the floor, then picks it up again to put it over a chair at the look Harvey gives her.

“Thank you,” he tells her pointedly, and she rolls her eyes.

“I'll shower first!” she calls out, locking herself in the bathroom before Harvey can protest. He only exchanges a longsuffering glance with Mike, resigning to his fate as he grabs some water and the file for the case he'll tackle when he returns to the office tomorrow.

His mood already lifted considerably after getting to pound out his frustration, but it's that thought that makes him sigh in relief. Tomorrow things are finally going back to normal, and then it will be as if his stay at the hospital never happened at all.

* * *

_It was late when Harvey found Mike in front of his laptop that night, staring at the screen as if transfixed._

“ _Hey,” he said, glancing over his shoulder as he stepped behind him. He smiled when he saw what he was looking at. “Nervous?”_

“ _It's tomorrow,” Mike remarked instead of giving a reply, not taking his eyes from the brand new website that would be launched alongside his program. “I just... I can't believe it's tomorrow.”_

_It was hard for Harvey to wrap his head around too. Mike had spent years building this project up from scratch, gathering funds and investors, looking at rooms and making deals with preexisting facilities. It had often been thankless work, the end goal a far future that always seemed to be just out of reach. But not anymore. Tomorrow Mike and Charlotte were going to launch their project, opening the facility for socially deprived children and families they'd been talking about for so long._

“ _You worked so hard to make this a reality,” Harvey said. “You and Charlotte. It's about time the world saw what you two accomplished.”_

_Harvey had been an avid supporter of the idea from the moment Mike had pitched it to him, painting an intriguing picture of a facility children could come to and spend their free time in, doing activities and connecting with others in ways they wouldn't have the means to otherwise. But that wasn't all. Determined to include the families of the children as well, he had thought of a system that allowed them to offer free counseling Mike and Charlotte were equipped to handle or could otherwise get outside help for, including legal consultation._

“ _Working with the whole family is the most effective way to actually have an impact,” Mike had said. “To make a change in their lives. And that's what it's all about, isn't it?”_

_Harvey had always known Mike was going to change the world, but seeing him go after what he wanted with so much determination made his chest swell with pride. The sensation hadn't eased over the years, on the contrary. Seeing Mike working tirelessly on making his vision a reality until this day, only hours away from starting the project him and Charlotte had titled 'Upwind', nearly made him burst with it._

“ _This has been my dream for so long.” Mike let out a slow breath. “It's everything I wanted. From working with kids to helping people in need to actually getting to do legal work, this time entirely legit too. I mean, what are the chances?”_

“ _This has nothing to do with chance.” Harvey spun Mike's chair around, tilting his chin up with his finger. “You worked hard to achieve this dream, and you deserve to finally live it. I'm so incredibly proud of you, you know that?”_

_Mike laughed quietly. “Let's wait and see if it takes off,” he said, but his eyes sparkled as he gazed at him, and Harvey only placed a soft kiss on his lips before muttering, “It's already taken off. Tomorrow just makes it official.”_

“ _I suppose.” Mike huffed, shaking his head. “Tomorrow. I can't believe it.”_

“ _Come on,” Harvey told him, holding out a hand. “Let's go to bed. Maybe you can actually catch a few hours of sleep.”_

_Mike chuckled. “Tough luck,” he muttered, but let himself be pulled up._

“ _Hey,” he then said, and Harvey glanced at him. “Thank you. For everything. Listening to my endless rambling, getting mad with me when things weren't working out, being excited with me. I couldn't have done this without you.”_

“ _Yes, you could have.” Harvey pulled him close by the waist. “But I told you, you'd never have to do anything on your own ever again.”_

“ _Yeah,” Mike agreed quietly, searching his eyes before wrapping his arms around him. “Yeah, I'm still getting used to that, but I'm beginning to realize that you really don't commit halfway.”_

“ _Damn right I don't. And neither do you,” Harvey gave back, nodding towards the website. Then he smiled. “Come on. Big day tomorrow.”_

_Mike laughed a little, closing the laptop before letting himself be pulled along. “Big day indeed.”_

* * *

“There you are.”

Mike glances up, smiling at Charlotte peeking into his office. “Hey. Had a good weekend?”

“I did. Not as good as yours though, I imagine. Harvey's back home?”

“He is, thank god.”

Charlotte slips into the room, leaning against his desk. “Is he okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, he's alright.”

“What did the doctors say?”

“Apparently he'll be fine if he takes some pills to keep his pulse from getting too slow.” Mike sighs, rubbing his eye. “He's so cool about all this. It's not that I want him to worry, I do enough of that for the both of us, but somehow I wish he was a little _less_ cool about it. I mean, he could have- this could have ended very differently.”

“I know. But it didn't.” Charlotte nudges him. “And dwelling on what could have been is pointless, you know that. Just enjoy that you have him back.”

Mike smiles a little. “Yeah, I'm trying. I mean, I'm so glad he's back home. It's just... I keep thinking about it.”

Charlotte gives him a sympathetic look. “You holding up okay? Look, if you want me to take over some of your work so you can spend more time with him...”

“No, I actually think my appointments are gonna take my mind off things a little. And the kids later on definitely will, so that's alright. But thanks for the offer.”

“Anytime. Actually, work is why I came to see you in the first place. I just got off the phone with the Boston guy we talked to. He said his firm would be happy to be associated with Upwind, so I told them we'd send them an invitation to the fundraiser.”

Mike lights up. “That's great! He's a big fish, if we get him to invest in us...”

“I know.” Charlotte grins.

“Can you take care of that for me? I have a consultation in... ten minutes and I need to fill this out first, but I'd like for him to get the invitation as soon as possible.”

“Sure,” she agrees, pushing herself up. “Hey,” she calls on her way out, giving him an encouraging smile. “It's only gonna get better from here on, you know? Harvey is home, he's got his medication, everything's alright now.”

“Yeah,” Mike says. He lets out a deep breath, his smile faltering when she has left. “Yeah,” he repeats, muttering to himself. “It's alright.”

* * *

_Having not one but several of New York's best lawyers at their school play was probably not something many children could say for themselves, but for Liv it was a given._

“ _You're all coming, right?” she'd asked when visiting Harvey at the office after school, and Louis, Rachel, Jessica, and Donna had agreed readily. If a twelve-year-old girl asked you a favor, there was nothing to do but grant it, after all. With Logan, Julius, and Charlotte coming as well, Liv's guests had made up a good part of the manageable audience._

_Harvey and Mike agreed that it had nothing to do with the fact that her applause had been loudest, though. She had been amazing, and not just because she'd nailed her role, but because everyone in the room could see how immersed she'd been in the act. They knew that was what had drawn her to the stage in the first place, the opportunity to express herself and communicate in a way different from mere spoken language, and it had been clear in every shift of her expression._

“ _Liv, that was so beautiful,” Nela told her when she met them afterwards, and Mike nodded avidly, stepping in to give her a hug._

You were amazing up there, sweetheart. I'm so proud of you.

“ _So am I. You put everyone else to shame,” Harvey added._

“ _Thanks.” Liv grinned, then let out a sigh. “God, I'm so glad that's over.”_

 _Nela raised her eyebrows._ Didn't you enjoy it? You looked like you were having the time of your life up there.

“ _No, I did. It was fun. But I wanna try something else now. I'm just, done with theater, you know?”_

“ _Right.” Nela chuckled, shaking her head as she wrapped an arm around her. “You're incredible, you know that?”_

_Mike smiled. “I think we all know that, especially after seeing her up there.” He looked at Liv. “Well, for now you're still the star of the night, so you get to choose where we go to celebrate. Any special wishes?”_

_A grin spread on her face. “Can we have burgers?”_

_Mike snorted at Harvey's expression, nudging him with his elbow. “You heard her. Burgers it is.”_

“ _Unbelievable,” Harvey muttered, but moved to lead the way. “Never let anyone say that she isn't your daughter.”_

* * *

Harvey strides into the office on Monday morning with a spring in his step, smiling at everyone he meets on the way, and it does nothing but make him grin when he knocks on Louis' door only to be greeted with the words, “Well, look who decided to show up for work again.”

“You're just jealous you didn't get an extra vacation,” Harvey retorts, seeing the slight smile playing on his lips as he takes a seat. “Everything go alright while I was gone?”

Louis nods. “I took care of Carter and Dolmaz. Rachel handled the rest of your cases.”

“You hear about her deposition?”

Louis nods again, leaning in with a glint in his eyes. “She _slayed_ him, Harvey. Positively destroyed him. In the most subtle, classy way I can imagine. If that didn't make him go home and cry to his mother, I don't know what would.”

“I'd say it's a lucky win for us, but I think we both know there's nothing lucky about it. Rachel's just that good.” Harvey lifts his eyebrows. “She also handled Pradax for me while I was away. From what she's told me it's been going well, and you know that's not a given with Pradax.”

“Oh, I do.” Louis glances at him, tilting his head. “She's been doing outstanding work lately. Not that she hasn't always, but this is a whole new level, even for her.”

“It is,” Harvey agrees, a smirk playing on his lips. “We did well with raising her.”

Louis chuckles. “Hell yes, we did. Well, now that you're back, we need to talk about the hearing on Wednesday...”

Harvey settles in to listen, and by the end of their meeting he's all caught up and ready to dive back into work.

Louis calls his name when he's already at the door.

“Harvey? I'm glad you're alright.”

His face displays something like genuine concern for a split second before he has his expression under control again, falling back into their usual roles easily. Harvey holds his gaze, then nods. “Thanks, Louis.”

Donna meets him in his office when he gets in. Harvey groans at the sight of the files on his desk. For all the work Louis and Rachel did, they couldn't take care of everything.

“It's not as bad as it looks,” Donna tells him. Harvey flips through the stack, then nods.

“I should be done with that before tomorrow.”

“Sure. As long as you don't overwork yourself again...”

Harvey opens his mouth to echo _again?_ , but before he gets the chance she asks, “Are you okay, Harvey?”

Harvey represses a sigh. “Of course. I always am.”

“Sure you are.” Donna rolls her eyes. “I know you're fine physically, or the doctors wouldn't have let you go. Neither would Mike, come to think of it. I just mean, not being able to rely on your body, that must have been weird, even for you. Especially for you.” She cocks her head. “How was that?”

“Yes, it was weird. No, I am not traumatized by it and no, I certainly do not wish to cry on your shoulder about it.”

The corner of Donna's mouth lifts. “As long as you know that you can. Speaking of, how's Mike?”

“Good. I think,” Harvey adds after a slight pause, narrowing his eyes. “I'm not actually sure, but I don't think he is either, so...”

“This whole thing probably caught him by surprise. Like all of us.”

Harvey sighs. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Donna pats his arm. “Well, I'm glad you're up and running again. You need to be in top form for the big event in two weeks. Both of you.”

“Is that in two weeks already?”

Harvey checks the date, but it's true. That, perhaps, shows more than anything else how rattled Mike really was after his hospital stay. Usually he's already losing it at this point.

“Well, we will be,” he assures her. “I'm back, after all, and I don't intend to go anywhere anytime soon.”

* * *

“ _Do you really think this is a good idea?” Mike asked for the fifth time, three of which had been on that day alone. Harvey finished tying his bow, then turned to his husband._

“ _Mike, we talked about this.”_

_Mike fiddled with his own tie, chewing on his lip. “I know, I just...”_

“ _You're nervous. I know.” Harvey stepped towards him, holding his gaze. “You're allowed to be nervous about your first fundraiser, no question. But you need to stop worrying about your secret. It's in the past. It's not gonna catch up with you. You've been at the firm countless times since you quit, and Pearson Specter Litt hosting this fundraiser is no different.”_

“ _It kind of is. I mean, I'll be on a stage, talking about how I used to be a lawyer there and now I'm not anymore.”_

“ _You'll be talking about the amazing project you built up after quitting the law,” Harvey corrected. “The focus won't be on what you did, it'll be on what you're doing now. And there's nothing wrong with bringing up your past. People know you from before, they always will. Disappearing from the face of the earth would be a lot more suspicious than just owning up to that. Besides, nobody has any reason to look into you anymore, and if they did, Lola took care of everything.”_

_His face softened into a smile. “This is a great opportunity for you and Charlotte, and it's gonna help a lot of kids and their families. Just wait until you see the results of tonight, then you'll be glad we did this.”_

_Mike sighed, his arms finding their way around Harvey's waist. “I know. I know, I just... this is such a huge deal. Of course I'm nervous. You know how I get, once I start worrying I get worried about everything and-”_

“ _I know,” Harvey cut him off gently, pulling him close until their chests were flush against each other. “But I'm telling you, there's no reason for that. This hasn't been a problem in our lives for what, eight years? It won't start again now.”_

“ _You're right. You're right, I know.” Mike pressed his lips together as he glanced at him, then gave him a quick kiss. “Thank you. For keeping me grounded.”_

“ _Always,” Harvey told him. “If you start panicking, just look to me. Now, let's go check on the girls.”_

“ _Come in!” Nela called out after he knocked on the bathroom. She was inspecting Liv's face when Harvey opened the door._

“ _Alright, you're good,” she told her, smiling before nodding towards Harvey. “Show dad.”_

_Harvey smiled too as both his daughters turned around to face him expectantly._

“ _Look at you. You might just be the most beautiful ladies I have ever seen.”_

“ _And that's saying something,” Mike added, coming up behind him as he straightened his bow tie._

_Nela smiled, and Liv bumped her with her elbow. “I'll tell aunt Donna he said that. She's never going to let him live it down.”_

“ _You've been spending too much time with her,” Harvey remarked. “When did you get so cunning?”_

“ _More importantly, when did you get so gorgeous?” Mike shook his head, his eyes glued to the girls. “God, look at you. You both look so beautiful.”_

_He knew his judgment was probably clouded, but he was convinced that he'd never seen anything more incredible than his daughters so fancy and grown up._

_They had gotten new matching outfits for the big event, a combination of a chic jumpsuit and a bespoke suit jacket. Harvey and Mike had helped them do their hair earlier – Donna had taught them one afternoon – and Nela had borrowed mascara and a bit of lip gloss from Rachel, which she had carefully applied first to her own, then Liv's face._

“ _Don't they?” Harvey agreed proudly. “If I didn't know better I'd say it's our genes, but...”_

“ _Let's call it our influence,” Mike decided, stepping in to drop a kiss on both their heads. Clapping his hands together, he said, “Okay, guys. I want one picture, then we need to get going.”_

_They ended up taking a few more than one, the girls as excited about the big event as Mike, before Harvey shooed them out of the door. Ray didn't hesitate to shower them in compliments – all four of them – before he dropped them off after wishing Mike good luck._

_The hall they were hosting the fundraiser in was already crowded with people, and Mike swallowed, wiping his hands on his pants as he willed himself to stay calm. He let out a slow breath when Harvey's lips brushed his temple, his arm winding around his waist naturally. “Ready?”_

_Mike gazed at him and nodded. “As ready as I'll be.”_

_They entered the hall together, and as soon as they got inside they were surrounded by people. Nela and Liv disappeared soon, and Mike shook hands with everyone, chatting with a few familiar faces from his time at the firm as he made his way around. Harvey was never far from him as he mingled, making good on his promise to be there if he needed him, and Mike excused himself after a while, stepping to his side._

“ _Alright?”_

“ _Yeah, I'm good. Have you seen Charlotte yet?”_

“ _No, but I'm sure she's here. She was probably the first.”_

_Mike chuckled as he scanned the room, then lit up. “Oh, there she is!”_

_He waved at Charlotte when she caught sight of him, and she excused herself from the guests she'd been talking to, making her way through the crowd to reach them. “Oh god, you're here. I thought I was gonna throw up earlier.”_

_They hugged, and when she drew back, they were beaming at each other._

“ _I can't believe we're doing this.”_

_Mike laughed. “Neither can I. This is big, isn't it?”_

“ _Huge.” Charlotte licked her lips, smoothing down her dress. “You ready?”_

“ _Kind of. I'm nervous, but like, in a good way?”_

_Charlotte laughed. “Me too. God, I can't believe this is happening. Did you see how many people there are? They all look so... loaded.”_

“ _Which is good for you,” Harvey cut in, greeting her with a quick kiss on the cheek. “Charlotte. You look fantastic.”_

“ _Thank you. I'd return the compliment, but you always look dapper, so...” She took a deep breath, her eyes catching on the people surrounding them. “Good god,” she muttered, then shook herself. “Hey, where are the girls?”_

“ _They should be around somewhere. My guess is they're with Rachel or Louis.”_

“ _I'll see if I can find them before it's time to get up on that stage,” Charlotte said and disappeared into the crowd again._

“ _I hope she doesn't go too far away,” Mike muttered._

“ _Relax,” Harvey said, “it's still ten minutes to seven.”_

_The words were supposed to calm him down, but they had the opposite effect on Mike. “Oh god. Shit. It's almost time.” He inhaled deeply. “Right, Jessica's introduction, welcoming speech, then the first course. Then another speech, then...”_

“ _You've been over this a hundred times,” Harvey told him, a fond smile on his face as he shook his head. “And anyway, there's no way you're going to forget.”_

“ _I might,” Mike said, even though he knew he was right. He may turn into a nervous wreck when the situation warranted it, but he'd never had a blackout._

“ _No, you won't. Besides, your attention is needed elsewhere.”_

_Mike followed his gaze, nearly gaping when he saw Jessica walking towards them. She looked... well, she looked as good as she always did, which was to say breathtaking, but the dress she was wearing fit her in a way that made Mike feel like a mere mortal gazing upon a deity._

_She smiled as she approached them, like she knew exactly what effect she was having. She usually did. “Harvey, Mike.”_

“ _Jessica. You look incredible, as usual.”_

_Jessica laughed. “You taught him well, Harvey.” She touched Mike's arm. “I wanted to step by to tell you on behalf of the firm how honored we are to host this fundraiser for a project as amazing and valuable as yours.”_

“ _Thank you, Jessica. And thank you again for giving us this opportunity. None of this would be possible without your cooperation. Charlotte and I really appreciate it.”_

“ _Of course. It's good to work with you again, especially like this.” She winked at him. “Now, I believe it's time, isn't it? Go and dazzle our guests the same way you dazzled your husband the first time you talked to him. Make your case. They're not going to be able to resist.”_

_Mike gave a jittery laugh. “I hope so.”_

_Jessica just smiled. “Good luck up there.”_

“ _To you, too.”_

_He searched the room for Charlotte, signing her to get ready when he found her. Harvey squeezed his hand when he took a deep breath._

“ _Look to me,” he murmured, his warm breath brushing Mike's ear, anchoring him in the moment. He nodded, taking one last look at him before Charlotte was by his side and Jessica started welcoming their guests before waving them over._

_And suddenly he was up on that stage, one hand on Charlotte's back, one holding the microphone someone had handed him. He glanced at the people applauding, the familiar faces in the crowd and all the other ones, and from then on it was easy._

_It didn't matter if he was nervous, if Charlotte was nervous, if he was up there for everyone to see. This was for the kids they were trying to help, for his dream, and Mike slipped back into the familiar role easily, doing exactly what Jessica had told him to – making his case._

_It helped that he got to sit down for every course, letting the live music entertain their guests as he forced some food into his queasy stomach and received encouragement from his family. The menu was amazing, as was the band, and Mike was in awe of every detail that made this night – his night – such a success. He'd been on the fence about this from the moment him and Harvey had come up with the idea, more a joke than anything else at first, right until this evening, but he could see now that it had been the right choice._

_Nobody seemed to wonder why he'd quit the law. No one as much as asked about it. Nobody even cared that he was the husband of one of PSL's name partners – clearly the homophobic clients hadn't received an invitation or accepted it, but it still blew Mike's mind. The number of donations was steadily rising following each of their speeches and presentations, and all of it had such a surreal and dreamlike quality to it that Mike questioned whether he was making this whole thing up more than once. He still found it hard to believe sometimes that so many good things happened to him, and this was no exception. The thought of everything they could tackle with the amount of money they were raising was dizzying, in the best possible way._

_Not that Mike got much of a chance to ponder that. He was in demand at all times, constantly ready to charm one guest or another. It was only during a break in the program before dessert that Mike got to slip outside for some fresh air, clearing his head from all the impressions the night had offered so far._

_He leaned against the wall after stepping onto one of the balconies, taking deep breaths as he appreciated the quiet. He turned his head when the door slid open, the muffled noises from the hall carrying outside before they were dulled again._

_It wasn't Harvey checking on him like he had expected, though. It was Louis._

“ _Need a break?”_

“ _Just getting some air.” Mike smiled, raising his eyebrows. “You can keep me company, if you want.”_

_It was clear that Louis hadn't come out here by accident, and Mike wasn't surprised when he joined him with a nod._

_They were both quiet for a while, Mike waiting for Louis to speak, Louis seeming deep in thought. It wasn't an unpleasant silence._

“ _I must say, it's impressive,” Louis eventually spoke up. “What you've accomplished since you left the firm? I was never convinced you could be as good at anything else as you were at being a lawyer, but I can see now that I was wrong.”_

“ _Thank you, Louis. That's... it means a lot to me to hear that.”_

_Louis smiled at him from the corner of his eye. “I know we had our ups and downs, Mike-”_

“ _That was long ago,” Mike interrupted him. “We've both changed since then.”_

_Louis let out a slow breath. “Yeah, we have, haven't we?”_

_It sounded as if he were speaking to himself, and when Mike looked up, Louis' eyes met his with such unexpected naked vulnerability that Mike only closed his mouth with a click, swallowing anything he might have said in reply._

“ _You know I've always wanted children.”_

_Mike nodded. “Yeah, I do.”_

_Louis smiled, looking almost pained. “I'm not a young man anymore, Mike. Every time I thought I found true love, the one I could make this dream a reality with, I was wrong. I'm not even seeing anyone at the moment. It's just me. I'm slowly starting to accept that having children is supposed to stay a dream for me.”_

_His voice was plain, almost matter-of-factly, but Mike could sense the deep underlying sadness in his words he was trying to conceal. He put a hand on his arm, returning the small smile Louis gave him._

“ _However,” Louis then added, visibly straightening,“that doesn't mean I can't have kids in my life at all. Hearing about your project, it got me thinking. I'd like to... I was wondering if it would be possible to work with the children. Maybe do a weekend activity or something like that.”_

“ _You mean like a honorary post?”_

_Louis nodded. “Exactly like that, yes.”_

_A smile spread on Mike's face. “I think that can definitely be arranged, Louis. The kids are going to love whatever you're doing with them. You have so much to teach them.”_

_Louis swallowed. “Thank you.”_

“ _No thanks necessary.” Mike squeezed his arm, smiling at him before his eyes shifted to the view again. They spent another few seconds in companionable silence before he straightened._

“ _I'm gonna head back inside, they're serving dessert soon. You coming?”_

“ _In a minute.”_

_Mike nodded and left him to it._

_The night was gradually drawing to a close. After dessert Mike only took a deep breath before heading up on the stage again, preparing for his final speech._

“ _We've almost reached the end of this fundraiser, ladies and gentlemen, but we can't let you go home without saying a few words.” He shook his head, a smile spreading on his face. “From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. Thank you to everyone who came tonight, to everyone who so generously donated. The amount of money we raised is incredible, and we're so excited to put it to good use. You really are making a difference in the lives of these children and their families. Thank you to Pearson Specter Litt for hosting this event, and very special thanks to my husband, Harvey Specter-Ross, without whom none of this would have been possible, on so many levels.”_

_His eyes found Harvey's in the crowd, and he spoke the next words directly to him, the proud smile on his face goading him on. “You're my rock, Harvey. You and the girls. I'd be lost without you.”_

_He smiled when Harvey nodded, his eyes gleaming, and then handed the microphone to Charlotte, who said a few words as well before seeing their guests off. Mike grinned at her, giving her a hug before they left the stage along to deafening applause._

_It was only after the tension of the night fell from him that he realized how exhausted he was. The girls were done in too, barely managing the ride home without falling asleep. Mike pulled the covers over them when they'd stumbled into bed, giving them a kiss before sneaking out._

_Harvey was waiting for him in the bedroom, his eyes meeting Mike's in the mirror as he changed._

“ _How are you feeling?”_

“ _Relieved. Incredibly grateful, incredibly accomplished.” He let out a laugh. “Dead fucking tired.”_

_Harvey smiled, taking off his bow tie before he turned around, drawing Mike into his arms._

“ _I'm so proud of you.”_

_Mike held his gaze, nodding once. “I meant what I said. I couldn't have done it without you.”_

_It wasn't just about the fundraiser, or even the project itself. It was everything, all the amazing ways Mike's life had changed over the past few years, none of which would have happened if he'd never met Harvey._

_He didn't say it, because he didn't need to. Harvey only pulled him closer by the waist, a smile on his lips like he already knew._


	3. Chapter 3

Harvey eyes the files on his desk, mentally repeating his schedule as he represses a sigh. It's going to be a long day again, another one in a long line. He'll be surprised if he makes it home even close to dinner.

It's funny how fast it's beginning to feel as if he was never gone at all, his hospital stay nothing but a distant memory brought to the front of his mind twice a day in form of a small pill. Which is exactly what he wanted. Unfortunately that also means that the amount of stress he's under is back to normal too – normal meaning pushing the limit, of course. Some days Harvey gets a kick out of it, rushing through court dates and deadlines and fighting his way through conflicts with opposing counsel.

Some days he is just tired.

He has never admitted to anyone that the latter days have started becoming more frequent. He's not about to start now. The work he does tends to get insane quite regularly, but that's just part of the job. It's not that Harvey can't handle it. It's just not always the most comfortable environment to be in anymore.

Of course, things are even more chaotic than usual with their third fundraiser for Upwind right around the corner. Mike has finally fallen into the pits of his usual nervousness, and while Harvey is not excited about the prospect of a twitchy husband going on and on about everything that needs to be done, he's glad that his mind finally seems to be off Harvey's heart. At least for now.

“I forgot to pick up my tux,” he states two days before the event, looking like the entire night is ruined when in reality he'd have plenty of time to still do it, and anyway-

“No, you didn't. You asked me to do it, and I didn't forget.”

Mike blinks at him. “Oh, right. Thank you.” He goes back to flipping through the guest list like he hasn't already memorized it, letting out a sigh. “Meyer and Mead still haven't RSVP'd. Again.”

“They never do. They're still coming, don't worry.”

“I know, but it's annoying as hell. Why can't they just let us know? Do they think they're like, special?”

“They do make pretty generous donations every time,” Harvey points out.

Mike concedes the point with a grumble, then asks, “When is Jessica coming?”

“Her flight should arrive at JFK around four tomorrow.”

“Is she having dinner with us?”

“I can ask her.”

Mike nods. “Please, the girls will never forgive her if she leaves before they get to spend some time with her.”

Harvey wouldn't either, which he knows Jessica is well aware of. They have seen too little of each other since she moved to Chicago, and while they have gotten used to keeping up through calls and texts, it's always that much better to see each other in person.

Jessica does agree to come for dinner and Harvey is glad she does, since it takes Mike's mind off things until she leaves and Harvey coaxes him into bed with a few underhanded, but very effective tricks soon after.

He doesn't get to see much of Mike on the actual day of the event, both of them busy taking care of some last minute details they just can't seem to avoid, despite the weeks of planning beforehand. Harvey picks up Nela and Liv from the house – Mike is already at the location with Charlotte and the new employee they hired last year.

“Look at you,” Harvey says when the girls are finally ready. “You're gonna steal the whole show.”

“You say that every time, Dad,” Liv points out.

“Well, that's because it's true every time. You look beautiful, sweetheart.”

“Thanks,” Liv says, accepting the kiss he drops on her temple with a smile.

“And you.” Harvey shakes his head, brushing a strand of Nela's hair behind her ear. “I'm tempted to tell you how much you've grown, but that would be too much of a cliché.”

“And god forbid you ever sink low enough for that.” Nela grins at him. “Come on, let's get going. I know how much you want to shower Daddy with compliments too.”

“I will do no such thing,” Harvey proclaims as he opens the door, making sure that the girls are out of hearing range later when he leans in to whisper how handsome he looks into Mike's ear.

“You're one to talk,” Mike gives back, brushing the gray at Harvey's temples with his thumb. “Handsome doesn't really cut it, but I've got other things to worry about than telling you how sexy you look, so it'll have to do.”

Harvey hums. “I'm sure you'll find a way to let me know later.” Then he asks, “Everything alright so far?”

“Seems so. Charlotte's talking to the waiters right now, there was some confusion about the schedule, but that's it.”

“That's comparatively mild,” Harvey agrees.

“Still.” Mike smiles at him, leaning in for a quick kiss Harvey would happily have drawn out. “I'm glad you're here. I always feel calmer when you're around.”

“That's what I'm here for.” Spotting Louis at the end of the hall, he briefly puts a hand on Mike's shoulder before excusing himself.

“There you are. I was looking for you earlier, where the hell have you been?”

“I was busy. It's a big event, Harvey. It's important that every detail is right.”

Harvey resists rolling his eyes. “Don't get all fidgety too, Mike is enough. It's _his_ project this event is for.”

“Hosted by Specter Litt, so everything that happens reflects back on us. We can't be affiliated to a mediocre fundraiser, much less host it, Harvey.”

“Because the last two were so terrible. By the way, I know that when you say you were busy, you just mean 'busy harassing the staff'. We don't want them traumatized, Louis. We want them working efficiently.”

“Yeah, no shit, Sherlock. What, you think I don't know the limits? I'm not harassing anyone. At least not in a way that can be proven in court.”

This time Harvey does roll his eyes. As much as Louis has calmed over the years, events like this bring out his pettiness like nothing else. Before he can open his mouth to drop the sarcastic reply already on the tip of his tongue, a dry voice cuts in.

“I see nothing's changed since the last time I saw you two together.”

They both turn around, and Louis' face lights up.

“Jessica.”

“Louis.” She smiles, enduring the bear hug he gives her before drawing back. “Good to see you again. You look well.”

Louis waves his hand. “All the prunies have to be good for something, right? I'm so glad you found the time to come. It's been too long since we caught up.”

“You know I wouldn't miss it for the world.”

Harvey catches her gaze and smiles.

Louis nods avidly. “Of course not. Come with me, I'll get us something to drink.”

He links arms with her, and Jessica only exchanges an amused look with Harvey before she lets him lead her away.

Harvey takes a glass of champagne from one of the waiters passing him, scanning the crowd as he makes his way through the room. He stops Charlotte when she rushes past him to check in with her, nodding in satisfaction when she assures him that everything is fine.

“You'd think we'd be used to it by now, but I'm still nervous.”

“You're not the only one. Mike wouldn't look half as composed as he does if there weren't already people here.”

Charlotte laughs. “It just never stops being special,” she says, her eyes gleaming. Harvey smiles.

“Damn right it doesn't. And it shouldn't. What you two do is special, so this night shouldn't be anything but.”

She grins at him. “Thanks, Harvey.”

He just waves her off, then asks, “Where's your mother? I want to say hello.”

“She's sitting over there, but you might want to postpone that until later. It's almost time for the welcoming speech, and you know how she is once she gets talking...”

Harvey chuckles, conceding the point. “Tell my husband to calm down,” he instructs, wishing her good luck before he lets her go. He catches Louis' eyes, waving him over.

“Ready?” he asks, and Louis nods.

As name partners of the firm hosting the event, it's up to them to open the fundraiser with a short speech. It's almost routine by now, the jokes, the easy banter between Louis and him that makes the audience laugh every time without fail, the transition to a more serious tone as they praise the work Upwind has done and the plans they have for the future, highlighting the importance of the project and appealing to their guests' generosity to keep the work going. They give a special welcome to Jessica, who receives a wave of applause, before handing the microphones to Mike and Charlotte.

Harvey takes his seat next to his daughters, only half listening to their whispered comments about his speech. Most of his attention lies on Mike.

He is amazing, as always, and he charms the pants off their guests like he does every time with ease. Harvey is aware of the smile plastered on his face all evening as his eyes follow him around, but he couldn't care less about it. He wants the whole world to see how amazing he thinks the man he married is.

“You look so proud, Dad,” Nela tells him during a break after dinner, and Harvey just raises his eyebrows as he glances at her.

“I am. Aren't you?”

She huffs, a smile playing on her lips. “My father's up there improving the lives of dozens of kids with my other father's help while charming the high society of New York City. Of course I'm proud.”

Harvey smirks at her. “Hey, where did your sister wander off to? It's almost time for dessert, she's gonna throw a fit if she misses the chocolate mousse.”

“Talking to Louis, I think. They seemed to have some heated debate the last time I checked.”

“Good god,” Harvey mutters. Louis and Liv have been known for their lively discussions, both of them prone to getting somewhat intense about certain topics, and while they always seem to end up getting along even better by the end of it, Harvey never rules out the possibility of casualties. “I'd better check on them.”

“Balcony,” Nela tells him with a knowing look.

Harvey nods before heading for the doors, greeting a few clients he hasn't talked to yet on the way.

“I'm just saying, there's no way in hell Bonnie Prince Charles would have succeeded on that throne, even without the defeat of the Jacobite cause at Culloden,” Liv is saying as he pushes the door open, steadfastly returning Louis' look until he seems to give up trying to stare her down.

Harvey steps beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist. “You two fighting again?”

“We don't _fight_ ,” Liv informs him the same moment Louis says, “We're debating, Harvey. It's highly stimulating. You should try it sometime.”

Harvey huffs. “As sorry as I am to interrupt this no doubt highly important debate-” Both Louis and Liv give him a look he pointedly ignores- “I came here to let you know that dessert's about to be served.”

Liv's face lights up. “Hell yeah!” Turning to Louis, she asks, “Do you remember the chocolate mousse Daddy chose for the last fundraiser?”

“Do I remember it? I _dream_ about it,” Louis retorts, and Liv grins, tugging at his arm.

“Come on then, we gotta be quick. You coming, Dad?”

“In a minute,” Harvey tells her, watching them head inside thick as thieves with a smile. He closes his eyes when the door falls shut, the low conversations of the other guests on the balcony drowning out the dull sounds from inside.

Not having had a minute to himself the whole day, Harvey absorbs the peaceful quiet, enjoying the rare moment of nobody wanting anything from him. It's not that he can't handle charming dozens of clients all night. It's his job, and he's damn good at it too. Doesn't mean it can't get exhausting, though.

He leans over the railing as he enjoys the view, just breathing for a while.

“Your daughter told me I'd find you here.”

He smiles at the sound of Jessica's voice, turning around. Her company is one he certainly never minds. “Miss me already?”

“Hardly.” Her lips quirk into a smile as she hands him a glass of champagne. “I just talked to Rachel.”

Harvey hums. A fleeting thought about his doctor telling him to keep his alcohol intake to a minimum crosses his mind, but he ignores it as he accepts the glass. “A pleasure, I imagine?”

“An utter delight,” Jessica agrees, shaking her head. “I still remember her as the stubborn young paralegal who wanted nothing more than to prove her father wrong.”

“Well, now she's a stubborn lawyer who does nothing but prove everyone wrong who dared to doubt her. On a daily basis.”

“Good for her. This firm needed a worthy successor when I left. I'm glad to see you found one.”

“Well, I'd say we could never find another Jessica, but she's really living up to what you taught her. She's been doing outstanding work recently.”

“I'm glad to hear it. She looks happy. So does her husband. And her son, he's grown so much. How old is he now?”

“Thirteen.”

Jessica hums. “And already a proper gentleman.”

“Of course. Did you expect anything less from a Zane offspring?”

She chuckles. “You're right. I forgot the genetic material is strong in that family. I knew Rachel had it in her, from the first time I met her, but seeing her now... She's come such a long way. All of them have. Rachel, Mike, Louis...” She raises an eyebrow. “You. It makes me feel proud, can you believe it?” She chuckles. “And old.”

Harvey lets out a laugh. “Jessica Pearson, old? That'll be the day.”

Jessica smiles, but there's a faraway look in her eyes.

“You know,” she says after a pause, “it's funny, how you never notice that you grow older and change until it's already done. Other people, too. One day you look around and the ones you care about, they've grown old alongside you. It's not always pleasant.”

She lets out a deep breath. “The truth is, Harvey, when I heard you were in the hospital, the second thing I thought – after my initial worry – was that I wasn't really surprised.”

Harvey raises his eyebrows. “You expect me to work myself into an early grave?”

She smiles. “If you do, so will I.” She tilts her head to give him a considering look. “You and I are the same, Harvey. We are both people who don't like to admit that we have weaknesses, that we're human the same way everyone else is. But look at us. Time didn't pass us by any more than anyone else. We're not young anymore. We may not be old yet, but the times of our youth are over. We need to accept it and act accordingly.”

The cool breeze brushes her hair, carrying the sounds from the hall away until they seem far away, almost unreal. Harvey swirls his champagne in his glass. “What are you saying?”

Jessica regards him for so long that he almost grows fidgety under her gaze, feeling like someone turned back time to when he was only just starting out and his mentor was telling him what to do. No matter what happened, that aspect of their relationship never quite went away. She's one of the few people he doesn't just accept advice from, but actually listens to.

Finally, she sighs. “You know what I'm saying, Harvey. Do you want me to spell it out for you?”

“Indulge me.”

Her eyes seem to bore into his, but he doesn't look away.

“I know the work is important to you, Harvey. I know it's a big part of your life, more so again now that your daughters are almost grown up. You're wearing yourself out for the job, don't pretend otherwise. And I know that in some way that's down to me, leaving you in charge when I left, making you pick up the pieces. But I know you understand in some part of yourself that this can't last forever. Your recent trip to the ER proves that. You never told me what the doctors said, by the way.”

Before he can reply, she holds up her hands. “And I'm not asking you to do it now. I'm just saying, I know you, and I know that means they said something to you that you didn't want to hear. And I can guess what it is.”

She sighs, turning her glass in her hands. “We're joking about working ourselves into an early grave, Harvey, but it's a lot less fun when it actually happens. I don't want the next time I fly to New York be because of an emergency. And if you go on doing what you do now, I can almost guarantee you it's going to happen at one point. Now, don't take this the wrong way. I'm not telling you to give up anything. I'm just asking you to take a step back and think about what's really important to you in the long run. Is it impressing people you don't give two shits about with how much work you still manage, or is it your family and getting to spend time with them? Not having them worried about when they're going to get the next call from the hospital? And if it's the latter, don't you think it's worth swallowing your pride for?”

Harvey stares out at the view from the balcony, stoically remaining silent. Jessica doesn't seem to expect an answer from him, maybe thinking he's too stubborn to give in, maybe knowing that he doesn't have the first idea what to say anyway.

“I know you don't want to hear this, but that's never stopped you or me from saying things that needed to be said. So do me a favor and think about it. If not for me or yourself, do it for your family.”

Harvey wants to protest on instinct, wants to dismiss her and tell her that she's wrong, but in the end he just says, “I'll think about it.”

Jessica nods. They both look out at the gardens, each hanging after their own thoughts, before she turns to him again.

“Come on,” she says, the corner of her mouth lifting as she links their arms. “We don't want to miss dessert, do we?”

Harvey follows her inside, and their conversation inevitably gets pushed to the back of his mind as they dive into the crowd again. He enjoys a serving of the chocolate mousse Liv is so crazy about, exchanges a few words with Mike before he disappears to chat up another guest, and talks to quite a few himself, coaxing them into raising their donations with ease. He follows Nela and Liv's animated conversation, half spoken and half signed because it's just easier with all the background noise, and at the end of the night hugs Mike when he exits the stage for the last time, whispering into his ear how proud he is of him.

It gets pushed to the back of his mind, but he doesn't forget about it.

He wants to. He wants to dismiss Jessica, wants to scoff and tell himself that there's nothing to think about and she simply got it wrong.

But Jessica rarely does.

He gets annoyed with himself for pondering the issue and then gets annoyed about getting annoyed, finally forcing himself to resolutely ban any thoughts about it from his mind as he joins Mike and the girls in the living room until they go to bed.

And when Mike kisses his temple later before cuddling up to him, murmuring, “You're quiet. Tired?”, he only replies, “Just thinking.”

* * *

_Logically, Harvey knew how he'd gotten home, but he couldn't for the life of him remember any of it. He'd picked up Nela and Liv on autopilot, listening to what they were saying without taking anything in. It made him feel bad in hindsight, but Nela had gone to her room without a word of complaint, and he doubted Liv had noticed. Still, he took a seat on the sofa as he watched her playing on the floor, the words Jessica had spoken earlier still echoing in his head like a goddamn loop specifically designed to torture him. He still couldn't wrap his head around it. It had been hours, and his mind still refused to accept the idea._

_Why was this hitting him so hard?_

_Sure, it had come out of nowhere, but he dealt with unexpected situations every day. It was his_ job _to deal with the unexpected, to take care of it and make it go away._

_This was different, though. This was personal, and no matter how much he tried, he couldn't take a step back and remove himself from the situation. He couldn't make this go away._

“ _Dad!”_

_He looked up to see Liv frowning, signing along as she asked, “Where are my cars?”_

_Liv's speech was still slightly slurred but much more intelligible, and the mix between spoken and signed language she was using to communicate suited them all fine. Nela had been excited to learn how to sign, and while Mike had naturally memorized the signs faster than Harvey, they were all more or less fluent by now. Liv learned new signs as well as words gradually, neither seeming to cause her much trouble._

“ _I don't know where they are, Liv. What's wrong with the bricks? You don't wanna play with them anymore?”_

“ _No.” The bricks landed on the floor with a loud clatter when she threw them away defiantly. Harvey raised his eyebrows._

“ _Hey, none of that. What's wrong?”_

_Liv blinked at him, her forehead creasing as she rubbed her eye._

“ _Are you tired, baby?”_

_He hummed when she nodded. “You wanna cuddle for a while? Alright, come here. That's it,” he murmured as he picked her up. “I've got you.”_

_The familiar weight of her body stirred something deep inside Harvey as she buried her face in the curve of his neck. He ran a hand up her back in soothing circles, adjusting her carefully. He was realizing now, holding her close, that seeking her company hadn't been solely for her benefit. He was drawn to her like a moth to light, a comforting and steady presence he could focus on, diverting his attention from the icy solitude in his stomach choking him up._

_He drew back to brush her cheek, holding her eyes when she blinked at him. “Long day, hm?” He swallowed against the sudden tightness in his throat. “Me too.”_

_He could have sat back down to cuddle with her on the sofa, but something kept him up, a need to keep moving that drove him around the room endlessly. At three years, Liv was getting too heavy to carry for longer periods, but Harvey couldn't care less about his numb arms. The warm weight of her body was grounding him in the moment, her even breathing close to his ear preventing his mind from twisting itself into knots._

_He hadn't known what he'd held onto for until he heard the key in the lock, only realizing at the wave of relief washing over him that he'd been waiting for Mike to come home._

_He never used to lean on other people like this, had never relied on anyone enough to do so. He'd always fought for himself, always made sure to keep his own head over water._

_But now he didn't have to do that anymore. Hadn't for a long time, not since Jessica, since Donna, and then Mike. Always Mike. Now he couldn't do anything_ but _lean on him, and he was surprised by how easy it was. Fighting this on his own was so intimidating, so daunting, that his throat closed up at the mere idea._

_Some of his thoughts must have shown on his face, because Mike faltered as soon as his eyes fell on him, immediately asking,“What's wrong?”_

Everything, _Harvey wanted to reply._ Everything is wrong and I don't see how it's going to get right again.

_He set Liv down, giving her drowsy face a caress before he straightened to face Mike, the question still hanging heavily between them._

“ _Jessica is leaving,” he said, the words sticking like glue in his mouth._

_Mike frowned, clearly unable to reconcile the harmless statement with Harvey's grave expression. “Leaving where?”_

“ _She's leaving the firm. To move to Chicago.” Saying it felt like ripping something open inside him, because saying it made it real, even realer than it already was. Mike's face was a perfect image of shock before something flickered across his expression that Harvey couldn't make sense of, barely managing the jumble of his own emotions._

“ _No way. She's- seriously? Shit. Come here.”_

_Harvey barely had to move before Mike pulled him into a hug, his hands digging into his back as he drew him closer. He wrapped his arms around him, holding on tightly._

“ _Are you okay? God, what am I saying, of course you're not.”_

“ _No,” Harvey agreed quietly, his mind narrowing down on the soft quality of Mike's voice, safe and warm and comforting and_ here _. “I'm not.”_

_Compassion, he realized. What he'd seen in Mike's eyes was compassion. And while Harvey normally rejected any kind of it, resenting its resemblance to pity, today he just accepted it._

“ _I can't believe it,” Mike muttered eventually. Endless minutes had passed, but Harvey hadn't kept track, focusing solely on the familiar scent and feeling of Mike in his arms._

“ _Yeah. Me neither.”_

_Mike took a deep breath, then drew back to search his face, his arms never loosening their hold on him. And Harvey let him look, allowing himself to be seen._

“ _It's okay,” Mike told him firmly. “We're handling this together.”_

_And Harvey looked at the resolution in his eyes and had no choice but to believe him._

_Jessica left barely a week later, and it was harder than Harvey had thought possible, but in a way it was also easier._

_It was a rough time in Harvey's life, there was no pretending otherwise. It brought forth things he'd rather kept buried at the back of his mind, fears he didn't want to examine too closely._

_But Mike was there every step of the way. The girls were there, often keeping him going with a single smile or a look they gave him, full of trust and admiration. Donna and Louis were there, Rachel too, and between the four of them they managed to juggle the situation at work until the ripples Jessica's departure had caused evened out._

_And as it turned out, Chicago wasn't the opposite side of the globe. Jessica came to visit, and while Harvey felt that he saw decidedly too little of her these days, their frequent phone calls made up for it. It wasn't ideal, but life rarely was. He'd take what he could get._

_The nagging fears of this only being the beginning, of others leaving Harvey too were still there, but while he never managed to block them out entirely, he was now at a point where his faith in the fact that his family wouldn't abandon him was stronger._

“ _Thank you,” he murmured one morning, running a slow hand down the line of Mike's arm. “For helping me through this. You know it's not easy for me to admit, but I don't know if I could have done it without you.”_

_He didn't specify what he meant, but he didn't need to. Harvey watched the slow rise and fall of his chest, the slight quirk of his lips, and he smiled at Mike's sleepy rumble, quoting his own words back at him from so long ago. “You never have to go through anything on your own ever again, remember?”_

“ _Yeah.” Harvey kissed his forehead, pulling him close. “Yeah, I remember.”_

* * *

“Liv, I need my shirt back!”

Liv may have pretended not to have heard Nela if she hadn't signed along to the words. As it is, she just sighs and tries, “Can't you leave it here?”

Nela groans. “Would I ask if I could?”

“But it's so comfortable!”

“That's why I need it, genius! I wanna wear it this week.”

Liv's expression comes dangerously close to sulking. “Will you bring it back next weekend?”

“Sure,” Nela sighs. “As long as you give it to me now.”

Liv goes to fetch the shirt, handing it over reluctantly. “Thank you,” Nela says pointedly, putting it into her bag. “Honestly, I don't know why you love it so much. It's like two sizes too big for you.”

“It's great,” Liv explains helpfully. Nela shakes her head, throwing Harvey a longsuffering look that he returns with an amused smile.

Mike, having watched the exchange from the sofa, asks, “You're coming back Friday?”

“Might be Saturday. Ben and Linda want to go out on Friday and asked me to come along.” She shrugs, scanning the room in search of something. “I haven't decided yet.”

“Oh.” Mike frowns as Nela finds the book she was looking for, stuffing it into her bag as well.

“Okay, I think that's it.”

“You know we can just stop by the dorms if you forget anything,” Harvey points out. “It's not an issue.”

“No, no, it's fine. No need to send poor Ray after me. Again.” She glances at the clock. “Right, I'd better get going.”

She gives Liv a hug, and Harvey and Mike get up to bring her to the door.

“See you next week,” Harvey says, kissing her forehead. No matter how many times she leaves, it still feels strange to watch her go. He supposes that's just one of the things you can't get out of your system once you're a parent.

Mike clearly shares the sentiment, if the tight hug he gives Nela is any indication. “Take care,” he mumbles.

Nela chuckles, patting his back. “Of course. I always do.”

Mike draws back, sucking his lip in as he regards her. “I know, just... look after yourself, okay?”

“Daddy, I'm coming back in five days. I'm like half an hour away, no need to worry.”

“And when you go out...”

“We'll stick together, I'll watch my drink, and I haven't forgotten any of the self defense techniques dad taught me,” Nela finishes.

Harvey gives her a satisfied nod. While boxing isn't her favored sport, he insisted on teaching her how to defend herself until he was sure she could do it on her head.

Nela gives Mike a kiss on his cheek. “It's not the first time I'm going out, Daddy. Don't worry about it. I'll see you next weekend, okay?”

Mike sighs, but steps back with a wistful smile. “You didn't use to be this calm about going away.”

She rolls her eyes. “Thanks for bringing that up again. I was _six_.”

“You don't forget something like that.”

“ _You_ definitely don't.” Nela opens the door, waving them goodbye, and with a promise to text them later she's gone.

When Harvey looks at Mike, he's chewing his lip.

“You alright?” he asks. Mike glances up at him, then nods.

“Yeah. Just... it never stops, does it? The worrying.”

“Probably not. Doesn't mean you have to focus on it, though. Come on,” Harvey says, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, “let's get back inside.”

* * *

“ _That was... intense.”_

_Mike sighed, heading for the kitchen. “For her probably more than for us.”_

_Harvey watched him fill the kettle with water before grabbing a cup. “She doing any better?”_

_Mike shook his head. “Still hiding under the covers. She stopped crying, but she's obviously miserable.”_

_Harvey pressed his lips together, but said nothing. Mike turned on the kettle in silence, gripping the counter with both hands as he leaned against it._

“ _I had no idea this was gonna be so hard for her. I mean, she has no trouble sleeping at Rachel's, or Donna's, and she_ asked _to go to Stacey's. How could we have known staying at a friend's house was gonna lead to this? It doesn't make sense.”_

“ _She's six. The things you feel don't always make sense when you're six.”_

_Mike sighed. “Yeah, they don't in general.”_

_He stared at the ground, still miserable. Nela had come home from a sleepover a little while ago, and the door had barely closed behind her friend's mom dropping her off before she had started crying, practically flinging herself at them. Neither Harvey nor Mike had known what had gotten into her, and it had taken a while to get her to calm down and tell them what was wrong. After all the things Mike had imagined to have happened he was glad to find out the source of her misery was something as harmless as homesickness, but it still hurt him to see his little girl so distraught._

_Harvey's voice cut through the sound of the kettle. “You know how she is. Rachel and Donna are family, she's known them her entire life. The people she's familiar with aren't a problem for her, but others...”_

“ _But Stacey isn't a stranger. They're friends. If she hadn't wanted to sleep at hers, she would have told us.”_

_Harvey lifted his shoulders in a helpless shrug. “I think it was less about Stacey and more about not being home or with someone familiar. She's still young, maybe it was just too soon. She's gonna be fine.”_

_Mike let out a deep breath. “Yeah. I mean, of course she is. And the next time is probably gonna be easier and all that, but I still hate seeing her like this. I hate that she's miserable.”_

“ _I know. Me too.”_

_Mike sighed. Then he raised his chin. “What's Liv doing? She alright?”_

_She'd come out of her room when Nela had returned, probably even more confused by the situation than Mike and Harvey had been. Harvey had tried to assure her that her sister was fine and then taken her back to her room to distract her while Mike had handled Nela._

_Harvey's lips curved upwards. “She's fine. Drawing me a new suit. The third one. After making a picture for Nela to make her happy again, which she's going to give her later.”_

_Mike smiled too. At least one of their kids was happy._

“ _Right,” he murmured when the kettle had boiled, filling a cup with Nela's favorite tea. “I'm gonna go check on her, make her drink some of this.”_

_Harvey nodded. Mike took the cup, then hesitated._

“ _You know the worst thing about this?” he asked, turning back to Harvey. “The next time she goes somewhere, I'm gonna spend the entire time wondering if she's secretly miserable.”_

“ _She won't be. Hey, you know our daughter. Now that she knows she wasn't ready, she sure as hell isn't gonna do it again until she is. Nela never does anything she doesn't want to.”_

“ _Yeah, wonder whose influence that is,” Mike murmured, but he was smiling a little._

“ _Let's just take it easy. Giving her some time and showing her that she can talk to us about these things is probably the best we can do.”_

“ _Yeah.”_

_Harvey gave him a dry look. “You think it's bad now? Wait until she goes off to college.”_

“ _Ugh, don't remind me. I have no idea how I'm gonna handle that.”_

“ _Well, she won't be six anymore then. She'll learn to handle leaving home in time. And we're just gonna have to learn to let her.”_

“ _Right.”Mike took a deep breath, then smiled. “Well, but not for a long time yet.”_

“ _No,” Harvey agreed. “Not for a very long time.”_

* * *

“Thank you so much for agreeing to this.”

“It's fine.” Harvey unbuttons his jacket as he takes a seat. “Don't thank me until I've won this case for you.”

Bonnie gives him a hesitant smile. “Are you going to?”

“Didn't Nela tell you? I'm the best.”

She chuckles, her shoulders relaxing marginally. “Right. She mentioned that, yeah. It's just...”

“You're worried about your grandfather. I understand. Why don't you tell me what happened so far? Nela described the issue, but I'd like to hear what's going on from you.”

Bonnie nods. Harvey leans back as she talks, keeping her voice level clearly costing her more than a little effort. Harvey doesn't blame her. If someone was doing to his family what had been done to hers, he would lose it too.

It soon becomes clear that the 'mistake' on the insurance company's side which led to them cutting off the money and transferring Bonnie's grandfather to another facility is a little too convenient to not be strategic. Technically they could talk their way out of it, but Harvey is confident that he can win this.

They are going to need something better than just calling upon the judge's humanity, though.

“Like what?” Bonnie asks when he says as much.

“Let's say we don't center on what the company did, but what they didn't do. If we focus on the consequences of the transfer and show that the way your grandfather is forced to live now isn't acceptable, we can prove that they neglected their due diligence. You know what we're gonna do? We're gonna bring in an expert to evaluate the state facility and your grandfather's needs.”

“Alright,” she agrees, frowning. “So where do we find someone like that?”

“Don't worry.” A smile spreads on Harvey's lips. “I happen to know a great social worker.”

He promises Bonnie to call her soon, dialing Mike's work number before he's even outside.

Mike sounds distracted when he picks up. “Yup.”

“Is this how you greet all your clients?” Harvey asks.

He can practically hear Mike rolling his eyes as he says, “I recognized your number, idiot. What's up?”

“The kids keeping you busy?”

“Pretty much. You know how they are. Tuesdays are all for running around.”

Harvey chuckles. “I can imagine. Listen, you got a minute? I may have a job for you.”

“A job?” The line rustles before Mike is back, sounding more attentive. “What kind of job?”

The corner of Harvey's mouth lifts. “I just met with Nela's friend about the pro bono. Turns out we could use a social worker to testify for us. So, how do you feel about working a case together again?”

“Seriously?” Mike lets out a delighted laugh. “Do you even have to ask? I'm in!”

Harvey grins. “I expected nothing less. I don't think this is gonna take long, but will Charlotte be okay handling things on her own for a while?”

“Oh, I'll make sure of it.”

Harvey ends the call after promising to tell him more when he gets home. As predicted, he is barely inside the house that night before Mike hands him a plate and proceeds to interrogate him.

“I don't usually stand in as an external reviewer,” he says, clapping his hands together. “This is exciting.”

Harvey smiles. “I knew you'd be happy about it. Wait until you hear what they're trying to do, you'll be glad to help take these assholes down.”

“So what's the issue? They're not paying, right?”

Harvey nods.

“On what grounds?”

“Well, that's the fun part. They claim that the protocol wasn't followed correctly and so they aren't paying anymore due to 'incorrect procedure'. Which is technically their right, since it's standard company policy. It's in the contract. But here's the thing: they were the ones who neglected to follow the protocol. They never sent anyone to evaluate the situation the way they were supposed to.”

“Those fuckers,” Mike mutters. “So they didn't just neglect their client, but used it for their own purposes?”

“Precisely.”

Mike shakes his head. “Well, I'll call the nursing home first thing in the morning. Maybe I can drop by this week.”

“You do that.”

Mike is quiet as he eats, seemingly deep in thought. He looks up after a few bites, narrowing his eyes.

“What did you say the name of the company was?”

“I didn't say it yet. It's Maple Insurances.” Harvey lifts his eyebrows at Mike's frown. “Why? What are you thinking?”

Mike puts his fork down, crossing his arms. “It's probably nothing, I just... you had this pro bono a few years back. You ended up not taking it, so you probably don't remember, but I saw the files lying around your office when I stopped by one day. It was really similar to this, like, _really_ similar. And the company was the same.”

Harvey narrows his eyes. “When was this, exactly?”

“Four years ago. Nela was away on that class trip at the time.”

They look at each other in silence.

“Well, shit.”

“I mean, it could be a coincidence, but...”

“If it isn't, it's a pattern. It's organized. And it's been going on for years,” Harvey finishes. He meets Mike's eyes. “I'll have someone look for those files tomorrow.”

Mike nods. “Text me when you know more.”

“This may just be a lot bigger than I thought,” Harvey says.

“Don't worry.” A small smile spreads on Mike's lips. “Charlotte's got everything covered. I'm all in.”

* * *

“Goddamn son of a bitch,” Harvey mutters.

“Anyone in particular or is that just a general statement?” Donna asks.

Harvey shuts the file he was reading, tossing it on his desk.

“Mike was right. It's a pattern.”

Donna wrinkles her nose. “Exploiting old people? That's just sick. Anything I can do to help?”

“Yeah. Get me Mike on the phone, now.”

Donna nods. Harvey sucks in his lip, already considering their options. Donna tells him that Mike is on line two, and he picks up the phone, telling him in quick words what he found.

“Unbelievable,” Mike breathes out once he's done.

“I know.”

“So what do we do with this?”

“That depends on whether you're thinking what I'm thinking.”

“Well, I don't know about you, but I'm thinking class action.”

Harvey smirks. “I see we still work well together. I'll take care of finding similar cases and plaintiffs, you help making our case by evaluating Bonnie's grandfather?”

“On it,” Mike agrees immediately. He pauses, then says, “Is it wrong that I'm excited about this? Because as horrible as it is, I'm _so_ down for doing this with you.”

“Likewise. It's not wrong. We're gonna help a lot of people, after all. And we deserve one last case together, don't you think? Belated as it may be.”

He can hear the smile in Mike's voice. “Yeah.”

“We always were a great team.”

“Oh, we still are.” Mike laughs. “The combined forces of Specter-Ross coming for them? They won't know what hit them.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations are in the end notes!

_Mike jumped at the bang of the door, the walls seeming to shake as it was thrown shut. He exchanged a look with Nela, equally startled, before turning around._

“ _Liv? What's-”_

_He broke off at the sight of her. Liv didn't just look angry. She was seething, her fists clenching at her sides, her eyes filled with a rage that at least explained the fate of the door, if nothing else._

“ _Good god, what happened?”_

_Liv ignored him, and when he raised his voice to repeat the question she turned on the spot and shut the door to her room with a bang too. Mike winced – it probably wasn't even satisfying, with her not being able to hear the full volume._

_He immediately rose to follow her, but was stopped by Nela's hand on his arm._

“ _Let me talk to her.”_

_He regarded her, then nodded reluctantly. “I'd say good luck, but...”_

“ _Unlikely.” Nela sighed. “Wait here, okay? I'll come and fetch you if I don't get anywhere.”_

“ _Sure,” Mike mumbled, unconvinced._

_He strained his ears to listen when she'd left, but there was only silence coming from the room. Mike knew that meant they were signing instead of speaking, something they often did when Liv didn't want to talk about her emotions, but he still wished he had some hint as to what was going on._

_The silence stretched for so long that he startled when Liv yelled, “I don't care! I_ hate _him!”_

“ _Liv, listen to me!”_

_Nela's voice was followed by another stretch of silence, and finally Mike picked up on a frustrated groan._

“ _Yeah, well, people_ suck. _”_

_Nela let out a short laugh. “Don't I know it.” There was another pause, and then the girls finally emerged from the room. Nela's forehead was creased and Liv still looked stormy, but at least she wasn't throwing things anymore._

_Mike raised his eyebrows and waited until Liv looked at him before signing,_ Okay?

_She nodded reluctantly, crossing her arms._

“ _Good. Now, care to fill me in on what the hell is going on?”_

“ _Liv's classmate is an asshole,” Nela informed him gloomily, squeezing Liv's shoulder before she took off to the kitchen._

“ _Nela,” Mike absently chided her, though he was more focused on what she'd said than her swearing. “An asshole how? Liv?”_

_Liv ground her teeth together, but she came closer, her hands gripping the table as she leaned against it._

“ _Dave,” she spat out, as if that explained everything. Mike just raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to go on, and she sighed, her jaw clenching as she said, “He made a comment about you.”_

_Mike frowned. “About me?”_

“ _About you and dad,” Liv elaborated. Mike's stomach sank._

“ _Oh. What-”_

“ _He laughed when I said that I had two fathers. I told him to stop, and- he started calling you ugly names. I_ hate _him, Daddy. I could have punched him in his stupid face with that stupid goddamn smirk. Who does he think he is?”_

_Mike took a deep breath. He'd known things like this were going to happen when Harvey and him decided to become parents, and this was relatively mild, but that didn't make it any easier to deal with. Anger flared up in him at that kid's ignorance and the fact that he was dragging his daughter into it. It was bad enough that they still had to deal with shit like this – though things were better now than they had been in Mike's youth – but his little girl having to suffer because of who her parents were was simply unacceptable._

_She was eleven, for god's sake. She shouldn't have to see how ugly the world was at this age already._

_He took another deep breath to calm down, reminding himself that they'd been lucky so far, as unscathed by casual bigotry as same-sex parents could be. There was no point in getting worked up now. Liv was angry enough for both of them._

_He turned in his chair until he was facing her, taking both of her hands._

“ _First of all, I'm proud of you for not punching him.” He paused. “You didn't punch him, did you?”_

_Liv rolled her eyes. “No. I may have pushed him a little, but honestly, he deserved a lot worse.”_

“ _Well, I should probably tell you off for that, but I can't really blame you, so... we'll just overlook that for the moment.” He exhaled deeply. “It sucks that this happened, and I'm sorry you had to listen to that kid. What he said was wrong, and you shouldn't have to deal with something like that.”_

 _Liv frowned at him. “What are you apologizing for? Dave should be the one telling me he's sorry. He's an_ ass. _”_

“ _Liv,” Mike chided her gently. “Look, you remember that we talked about this, right? How some people don't understand that two men or two women can be in love, and because they don't understand it, they say ugly things?”_

_She nodded mutely, and he sighed._

“ _You can't change these people, or their opinions. It doesn't mean you have to accept them, or listen to them, but you can't make them change unless they're ready to change themselves. You can only try to talk to them. Unfortunately, a lot of those people aren't really ones for listening. But you can't let that get to you. Especially not on my or your dad's account, okay? I really... appreciate that you want to defend us, sweetheart. But we're okay looking out for ourselves. You do the same for yourself, alright? I don't want you getting into trouble because of something like that. It's not worth it.”_

_He cupped her face, brushing her cheek with his thumb. Her forehead was still creased. “But I can't help that it makes me angry, Daddy.”_

“ _Of course not. Anyone would be angry, and it's okay to be, as long as you don't let it consume you or dictate your actions. Just let it remind you to take the high road, okay? It just means you're a lot smarter than those people are. You're kinder, and more understanding and compassionate, and it's their loss that they're holding on to something so sad. But that has nothing to do with your dad and me, or with you. It's about them.”_

_Liv nodded reluctantly, and then she leaned in, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. Mike let out a deep breath, running his hand over her back. He needed the comfort as much as she did._

“ _It's okay, love,” he murmured._

_Liv rested her chin on his shoulder before drawing back with a sigh, her brow knitted as she asked, “What do you think I should do? Nela said I should calm down until tomorrow and then talk to Dave again.”_

“ _You can try, but it may not work. Talking to him, I mean.” He sighed. “Maybe it's best if I call the school.”_

“ _It's okay, Daddy, I'll go with her. We'll handle this.”_

_Mike looked up when Nela joined them, nudging Liv's shoulder with a smile._

“ _I don't know, Nela. This may be something your dad and I should handle.”_

_Not that he was convinced they could achieve more in terms of making that kid reconsider his views, but an adult showing up may be more of an incentive than a teenage girl._

_Nela, however, didn't seem to agree. “Why? You always taught us that we need to stand up for ourselves, Daddy. And now you want me to do nothing when my sister of all people is involved? And my parents?”_

_Her brow furrowed as she looked at him, a protective arm wrapped around Liv's shoulder. Liv's expression was gloomy, but her eyes were full of trust as she glanced at Nela._

_Mike sighed, feeling himself caving._

_Nela wouldn't back down, he knew that about her. And while her stubbornness could be a great source of frustration at times, he couldn't help but admire it now._

_His eyes caught on her returning his look unfazed, fourteen years old and already more determined than he had been at twenty-four. “Alright,” he found himself agreeing. “Alright, you take care of it. But if things don't work out, you don't hesitate to tell us, okay?”_

_Nela's lips pulled into a triumphant smile. “Promise.”_

_She squeezed Liv's shoulder. Mike bit back a smile himself as he regarded them, sharing an understanding neither of them had to put into words. They'd always gotten along like a house on fire, but seeing them stick together still filled him with warmth every time._

“ _Alright,” he changed the topic, “we don't need to let this ruin our whole day. Who wants to help me cook?”_

_Nela was the first to agree, but Liv wasn't far behind, and Mike shooed them both into the kitchen as he told them what to do, glad to see that it seemed to distract Liv enough that she didn't linger on the events of the day._

_It still felt wrong not to do anything, every part of him itching to go out there and take care of the matter himself, but Nela had a point. The girls weren't little kids anymore, and they needed to learn to take care of things themselves. It still bothered him, but he chose to be rational about this and wait before giving in to any impulses._

_Harvey, on the other hand, wasn't so calm._

“ _Don't freak out,” Mike began when he sat him down that night despite knowing that it was a futile request._

“ _He did what?” Harvey asked when he'd told him the story, nearly shooting up from his chair as if planning to go to the school right that moment._

“ _Calm down.”_

“ _I am calm. I'm not sure why we're sitting here instead of talking to the school about this unacceptable behavior, however.”_

“ _Nela and Liv want to take care of this on their own. And I think we should at least let them try.”_

_Harvey's jaw twitched. “You can't possibly expect me to sit back and do nothing.”_

“ _We're not doing nothing, we're letting our daughters handle this. It's not like we can't still interfere if they don't get anywhere,” Mike argued, and because he wasn't above playing dirty he added, “Don't you trust them enough to let us know if that's the case?”_

“ _Of course I trust them,” Harvey shot back, as if Mike had personally insulted him._

“ _Good. Me too.” He paused. “I already promised them to let them handle this alone, so.”_

_Harvey scowled at him. “You shouldn't have done that without asking me first.”_

_Mike sighed. “Maybe not. But you're the one who always says they need to learn how to deal with tough situations. Nela's right, we did raise them to stand up for themselves and not settle for injustice. Do you honestly expect her not to do anything now that her sister's involved? And the two of us?”_

_Harvey shot him a look, but stayed silent._

“ _You'd want a chance to handle this on your own, if it were you,” Mike said gently. He could practically see the wheels turning in Harvey's head, every cell of his body seeming to resist before he finally let out a deep breath._

“ _Alright. Fine. I'll wait. But I'm going to talk to them,” Harvey announced. Mike nodded, watching him rise from his seat to knock on Nela's room._

_Mike let him talk to them on his own, listening to the soft murmurs of their voices carrying through the door as his thoughts drifted._

_He knew it cost Harvey a world of effort to sit back – it wasn't easy for him either – but it was the right thing to do, he was sure of that. Nela and Liv were growing up. They weren't there yet, still a long way from leaving the nest, but it was a process, and at one point Harvey and him would have to learn to take a step back and let them figure out how to stand on their own two feet. And maybe that point was now._

“ _You're right,” Harvey admitted reluctantly when he said as much after slipping into bed that night. “You're right. But that doesn't mean I have to like it.”_

_Mike snorted. “Believe me, it's not a walk in the park for me either. But let's just... take it easy and see how it goes tomorrow.”_

_Harvey grumbled something unintelligible, which Mike took as agreement. He placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, then switched off the light._

_As it turned out, they needn't have worried._

_The smug smile on Nela's face when he came home the next day told him all he needed to know, but he still let out an expectant, “Well?”_

_Nela held up her hands. “I know you're gonna disapprove my choice of words, but we handed his_ ass _to him.”_

_It was around that time that Mike realized he should just give up trying to put an end to the girls' swearing. He sighed, the corner of his mouth lifting despite himself. “That's good to hear. What happened?”_

_Nela shook her head. “I'll tell you later when dad gets home, he'll want to hear this too.”_

_She really did make him wait for it, a fact that would have amused Mike if he hadn't been so impatient._

“ _Well, let's hear it,” Harvey said when he sat down at the table later that night._

_Nela and Liv exchanged a look before Liv began, “So we talked to Dave before class, right? You should have seen his face, his eyes got like, huge when he saw us. He tried to make fun of me for 'needing help from my big sister', but Nela wouldn't have it. She shot him down.”_

“ _It was all perfectly civilized, of course,” Nela added at the sight of Mike's raised eyebrows. “We just talked. Well, Liv and I talked. He didn't have much of a choice but to listen.”_

_Harvey smiled in approval. “What did you say to him?”_

“ _We just gave him some facts. You know, studies and biological stuff about sexuality and all that, things he couldn't argue with. He just stood there and had to take it all while we lectured him. It was_ glorious _. He could say absolutely nothing in response that didn't make him sound like a toddler having a tantrum. And after we showed him just how backwards his logic was, I... invited him to reconsider his views. I don't wanna promise too much, but I think he'll remember that talk for a good long while.”_

_Mike exchanged a look with Harvey. “Well, sounds like you did great.”_

“ _But that wasn't all,” Liv cut in._

“ _No?”_

“ _Oh, no,” Nela agreed, grinning at her. “After that we had another talk.”_

_Liv burst out giggling. “We went to my teacher!”_

“ _The one who has a soft spot for Liv,” Nela added. “And Liv brought out her hidden acting talent.”_

_The statement was met with stunned silence, neither Mike nor Harvey knowing what to make of it._

“ _What exactly does that mean?” Mike asked eventually._

“ _I didn't lie or anything, honestly!” Liv assured him. “I just... exaggerated my feelings about the whole thing a bit. To get my point across.”_

“ _You exaggerated your feelings,” Harvey repeated._

“ _She cried,” Nela helpfully explained. “Well, she teared up, mostly. One tear actually fell. She looked pitiful, Dad. It was amazing.”_

_Mike blinked. “Oh my god. That's...”_

“ _Cunning,” Harvey finished, his voice laced with admiration. Mike would have rolled his eyes if he hadn't been so sure he was displaying the exact same sentiment._

“ _So you what, made a scene to get Dave punished?”_

“ _No, no. I'm done with Dave. I just told Mr. Bennett about what happened and how sad it made me that the school allowed kids to be so mean, and all of a sudden he was all over the idea of teaching us to be open and nice to each other.”_

“ _He said that kind of behavior was unacceptable,” Nela added. “The school valued tolerance and diversity, and he would talk to the other teachers to see what they could do.”_

“ _Also, he promised to have a serious talk with Dave, so that's nice.” Liv shrugged, signing,_ Really, they should have done all that anyway. I just steered them in the right direction.

_Harvey leaned back, shaking his head. “I gotta tell you, I'm impressed. And you know I don't say that lightly.”_

_Mike nodded. “Honestly, you handled that admirably well. I should probably say something about emotional manipulation at this point, but since nobody got hurt...” He smiled. “I'm very proud of you both. And I see now that I shouldn't have worried. You clearly got this.”_

_Liv and Nela beamed at them. Mike caught Liv's eyes, signing,_ Do you feel better now?

 _She nodded._ Loads.

_Mike smiled, then nudged Harvey's arm. “Looks like we don't need to join forces with the entirety of Specter Litt to sue the school after all.”_

_Harvey gave him a look, but the fact that he didn't protest was as good as a guilty plea._

“ _That's not necessary,” he just said, gazing at his daughters with pride. “Clearly, the force of Specter-Ross is enough.”_

* * *

“I haven't been to court in ages,” Mike says as they climb the stairs to the familiar building, shaking his head. “This feels surreal. Like I'm thrown back in time.”

“Well, you'll be on the other side of things this time, so it's not quite the same,” Harvey points out.

They have a hearing today, and Mike is ridiculously excited about basically everything. Harvey, not so much – he has dealt with the lawyer representing the insurance before and he's a total idiot. Though seeing Mike practically bouncing on his feet is enough to make him forget about that and instead focus on the fact that they are really working on a case together again.

“Don't be a spoilsport,” Mike shoots back, nudging him with his elbow. “I know you feel the same way.”

“I'm not on the stand here,” Harvey mutters, smirking when he catches his eyes.

Mike's phone pings before he can reply.

“Nela?” Harvey asks when he reaches for it, and he nods.

“She'll be here in five.”

It's a public hearing, and Nela and Bonnie are coming to watch since they don't have classes that morning.

“Tell her what room we're in, we'll already go ahead. I don't want to arrive after that idiot.”

Mike laughs quietly, probably remembering all the times they had court together back when he was still at the firm, Harvey always insisting that first impressions were half the battle. He still stands by that.

They are indeed the first to show up, but Nela and Bonnie hurry through the doors not long after them.

“Hey! Sorry, are we late?”

“Nope, just in time.”

Nela looks at Mike, teasing, “Nervous about being back in a courtroom?”

Mike laughs. “Not at all. More excited, really.”

“Must be weird,” she notes, glancing at Harvey. “For you too.”

“It is. But in a good way.”

She looks like she wants to say more, but quickly sits down when the judge enters the room. Mike takes his seat as well, and Harvey turns his attention back to the case.

Which is all the better, he thinks when the judge has barely opened the hearing before opposing counsel tries to worm his way out of it.

“Your Honor, quite frankly, I don't know why any of us are here. This case is ridiculous and a waste of everyone's time. Maple Insurances were well within their rights to transfer that man to another facility, so I ask for this case to be dismissed.”

Harvey huffs. “Your Honor, that in itself is an impudence. The company purposefully neglected their due diligence to avoid having to pay. Which is why we aren't just determined to move this case along, but turn it into a class action suit.”

The way the lawyer's eyes bulge is worth having kept that piece of information to himself so far. Harvey smirks when the guy shoots up, fiddling with his button as he asks, “A class action? On what grounds? The insurance has done nothing wrong. There are rules that need to be adhered to, and they weren't. They could have dropped your client entirely, cut off the money for his medication, but they are not the inhumane monsters you're making them out to be. So what they did instead was offer him the next best option, out of courtesy, I might add.”

“You mean what they did is dump him in a substandard facility away from his family where he would neither receive the care he needed nor the one he is entitled to.”

Harvey raises his eyebrows. Mike has gotten up from his seat as he spoke, and while the judge is giving him a confused look, he doesn't stop him. Harvey tries not to let his amusement show. Dealing with that idiot just got a whole lot more interesting.

“You can argue with the contract all you want,” Mike continues, clearly unperturbed by the fact that he's not supposed to function as a lawyer in this. “Fact of the matter is that the company neglected their duties and are thereby actively harming our client's health, which I'm willing to testify to, by the way. It's not a singular case either, hence the class action. And you call that 'doing nothing wrong'? That's laughable.”

“You're right about one thing, though,” Harvey adds, picking up where he left off easily. “There are rules that need to be adhered to, and it's the company's fault that they weren't in my client's and several other cases. We have proof, Your Honor, and we request to move forward with our class action suit so that these people can be brought to justice.”

He catches Mike's eyes, finding himself mirroring the grin on his face. Just like old times.

Harvey has long made peace with the fact that Mike and him don't work together anymore, of course, but he still cherishes the memories from when they did. They've always been great together, in and outside of the courtroom. It's good to see that hasn't changed.

Harvey schools his features back into a neutral expression, merely allowing his smugness to show when opposing counsel glares at him and Mike. He can feel Nela's thoughtful gaze on them from where she's watching, but she just shakes her head when he raises his eyebrows, and soon his attention is caught by the judge again, belatedly asking Mike to rein himself in before – of course – ruling to grant their motion.

He can feel Mike trying not to grin and barely suppresses his smug expression himself.

Just like old times, indeed.

* * *

“I'm not saying we got them, but we _so_ got them.”

“It's a pushover,” Harvey says, waving his hand as he drops the keys on the counter. “They're full of shit. They don't know what's coming.”

“Oh man, I can't wait to destroy them.” Mike grins. “I'd say I forgot how good a team we are, but I never forget anything, so...”

“I know for a fact that's not true,” Harvey gives back, amused.

“Yeah, yeah. I never forget anything that's important, how about that?” Mike glances at him, then smiles. “Seriously, it's good to work with you again.”

“Yeah,” Harvey agrees. “It is.”

He checks the time at his rumbling stomach. “Liv is eating at Rachel's tonight, right?”

“Yep. So, what do you feel like having?”

“Hmm.” Harvey pulls Mike closer by the waist. “How about we indulge in some greasy, spicy Indian takeaway from the place three blocks away?”

Mike grins. “Our old celebratory takeout, huh? Well, I should do the responsible thing and convince you to get something healthy, but you know I'm always down for that, so I suppose this once won't do any harm...”

“You wanna call them?”

“Yeah, I'll do it.” He tips his temple. “Still know your order, after all.”

Harvey lets him go with a squeeze of his arm, heading to the kitchen while Mike places their order. He gets two plates and glasses, then grabs his medication and gets some water to wash it down.

“Hey, you want any masala potatoes? We only had them once but I kinda... ah.”

Mike's eyes focus on the pill before they snap to Harvey's face. Harvey swallows it down, then nods. “And get some naan bread too, please. I'm starving.”

Mike nods as well, his eyes seeming to linger on him before he turns away to finish the call.

“You okay?” Harvey asks when he walks up to him to engulf him in a bear hug afterwards. Mike inhales deeply.

“Of course.”

Harvey pats his back gently. He won't pretend to always understand Mike's moods, but he can appreciate the closeness when it's handed to him on a silver platter. “Wanna set the table?”

“No, let's eat on the sofa,” Mike decides.

“Alright. Sure.”

They carry the plates into the living room, lounging on the sofa as they wait for their order. The food is as amazing as Harvey remembers it, only improved by sharing it with Mike over their triumph in court today.

Mike doesn't seem all that occupied with it, though. They barely finish eating before he puts the plates away to guide Harvey into the cushions, practically latching to his side as he cuddles up to him. Harvey pulls him closer, not minding in the slightest.

They don't get to just sit back and enjoy being close to each other nearly enough. Though Harvey has to admit that's mostly down to him, since Mike is home early most days and rarely has to do any work here. As managing partner of Specter Litt, Harvey can't say the same for himself. He tries to keep the work he takes home to a minimum, but often that just means he has to stay at the office longer. He likes to think that he didn't miss out on much over the years, especially when the girls were younger, but he knows he did miss out on some of it. On spending time with Mike, too. It's not that he neglected his family, always making up for the lost time on weekends and whenever else he could, but when he has Mike in his arms like this, he can't help his thoughts going there.

Because even after all those years, he still can't get enough of it.

Though, Harvey muses, the way Mike is clinging to him right now at least tells him that he isn't the only one who feels that way.

Harvey peeks at him as he listens to his breathing, his hand moving over his back slowly. Mike's ear is pressed to his chest, most of his face hidden from him, but he can still see the traces of exhaustion sitting in his features, the lines around his eyes and on his forehead that weren't there when they first met, emphasized by the slight frown tightening his face.

Mike seems tired, worn out lately. Harvey finds himself struck by the sudden yearning to wrap him up and whisper sweet nothings into his ear until the air of weariness around him has dissolved.

Maybe it's time they went on another vacation. Their last one was years ago, after all. The girls were still so young then – Liv was six and Nela had just turned nine. Looking at Mike now, he seems in desperate need of a break. No wonder, with how stressful the past few weeks must have been for him.

Harvey feels a stab of regret for adding to his stress with his hospital stay before shaking the thought off. He doesn't want to think about that right now. What he does want is something rather different.

He's glad to see Mike's lips curving into a smile as he begins trailing his finger up and down his arm. He tightens his hold on him, tracing the lines of his body until Mike's breath hitches at the feather-light ministrations.

Harvey smiles to himself, continuing his gentle exploration while Mike relaxes against him. The hand on his back travels lower until it lingers on his ass, and Mike sighs quietly before letting out something like a laugh.

Eventually he turns his head, studying his face. “Is this you giving me a hint?”

“I was just thinking. Liv won't be back for a while yet, will she?”

“No,” Mike agrees, his smile growing. “Not for a few hours.”

Harvey hums. “So it's just you and me and hours ahead of waiting for our daughter to come home...”

Mike chuckles. “Are you trying to seduce me?”

“Is it working?”

Mike turns over, placing a kiss that is gentle and full of promise at once on his lips. “You know damn well I don't need any seducing. Come on, let's take this to the bedroom. Unless you're planning on continuing this right here...”

Now Harvey chuckles. “As much as it pains me to admit it, I'm not that young anymore. My back would make me pay too much for those kinds of sins.”

Mike's face is unreadable as he regards him, and Harvey almost asks if something's wrong, but then he pushes himself up, seeming to shake whatever thought just crossed his mind.

“Well, having an older lover still has its advantages,” he remarks, winking at Harvey before scrambling off the sofa.

“Hold your tongue,” Harvey threatens, following after him. “I may be a few years older, but not too old to catch up with you.”

“I'm counting on it!” Mike calls out, pulling his shirt over his head before dropping it on the floor. Harvey shakes his head, picking it up before joining him in the bedroom, where all thoughts about his age are soon forgotten.

* * *

_It felt like Mike had barely slept at all when the mattress shifted seconds before small hands nudged his arm._

“ _Daddy, wake up!”_

_Mike grumbled something, squeezing his eyes together as he rolled over. Liv didn't give up that easily, though._

“ _Daddy, it's morning! Can we go swimming now?”_

“ _Hm?” Mike glanced at the clock, not that the time made any difference with the massive jet lag their traveling had caused. Well, caused him, anyway. His daughter evidently didn't have the same problem. “Don't you want to have breakfast first?”_

_Liv shook her head vehemently, and Mike started to make peace with his fate, because if she was willing to forego food, she had to be serious._

“ _You did promise them they could go swimming first thing in the morning,” Harvey pointed out next to him, still sounding half asleep._

_Mike chuckled, exhaling deeply as he stretched. “Right.”_

_All four of them had been exhausted from the flight last night, even though the breathtaking sight of the sea expanding before them upon their arrival had made them forget all about that for a few precious moments._

_They'd decided on Brittany on a whim, none of them having been to France before and both Harvey and Mike wanting to show their daughters the sea. The sight of their faces alone as they'd gazed at the play of orange and yellow on the waves rolling towards them had been worth the journey._

_They were staying in a cozy house right by the sea, secluded from noisy tourists. Mike had instantly fallen in love with it, though the pictures really hadn't done it justice. It was just as charming on the inside as it was from afar, but that was nothing compared to the view it allowed them. Mike had only made a mental note to capture all of it on camera the next day before falling into bed._

“ _Besides-” Harvey sat up with a low exhale, glancing at the time- “our housekeeper is coming in an hour, we should meet her.”_

“ _Alright, well, we can just go for breakfast afterwards.” Mike patted Liv's arm._ Is Nela up already?

 _Liv nodded._ Putting on her swimsuit _, she signed, and Mike smiled, rubbing the remnants of sleep from his eyes. He wouldn't get any more for the time being, that much was clear. Maybe he could squeeze in a nap later when the girls inevitably crashed around lunchtime._

“ _Should have known. Let me go to the bathroom and get changed then.”_

_Harvey had gotten up by the time he returned, applying sunscreen to an impatient Liv, bouncing on her feet. Nela had joined them, putting her hair in a ponytail._

“ _Morning, Daddy!”_

“ _Morning,” he said, smiling at her. “You're all ready, I see.”_

“ _Yeah, of course! Why aren't you?”_

_Mike sighed. “Aren't you guys at least a little tired? Children are supposed to need lots of sleep, but it seems I'm the only one who could use a few more hours.”_

“ _They do, but you know that excitement wins over sleep anytime,” Harvey pointed out. “Besides, you're not the only one. How about you get us some coffee from that place we saw on the way last night to tide us over until the ladies allow us to have breakfast?”_

“ _Are you asking me to do it because you don't wanna embarrass yourself by not getting the order right?”_

_Harvey huffed. “We aren't the only tourists here, are we? They gotta speak English to some extent.”_

“ _Maybe. Maybe not. Not to buy into stereotypes, but I've heard that a lot of French people don't like it if you don't speak their language.”_

“ _Great. That's gonna be fun,” Harvey muttered. Mike just grinned, letting himself be steered into the bedroom to get his swimming trunks before stepping onto the beach after the girls._

_Nela and Liv were ready to jump into the waves right away, but Mike held them back to establish some ground rules first._

“ _Stay together, alright? I don't want you to go in farther than where the water meets your hips.”_

_They nodded in unison. Mike looked at Nela. “Keep an eye on Liv, okay? I'll be right here, if anything's wrong.”_

“ _Of course. Can we go in now?”_

_He chuckled. “Yeah, yeah. Go on. Have fun!”_

_Nela grabbed Liv's hand without wasting another second and Mike got the camera he'd brought along ready, capturing the moment they first went into the water with a grin._

_Nela shrieked when the waves lapped at her toes. “Oh god, it's cold!”_

_Liv was less fazed, running in a few feet before turning around and beckoning her closer. “It's not that cold, come on!”_

“ _How are you not freezing?” Nela complained, but followed her regardlessly, the mischievous expression coming over her the only warning before she splashed Liv with water._

_Liv gasped, going rigid. “Nela!”_

“ _What? I thought it wasn't cold?”_

_Nela laughed at Liv's incredulous face, breaking into a run the next second when Liv launched into a counterstrike._

_They played around until they grew tired of the game, calling it a truce. Nela remembered Mike after a while, turning to him as she gesticulated wildly. “Daddy, come in!”_

_Mike pushed himself up from the sand._

“ _I'll be right there,” he promised, dropping the camera off at the house before joining them, gasping when the water engulfed him._

“ _Holy sh- okay, yes, that's cold.”_

“ _You get used to it,” Nela promised. Before Mike could say anything, he was hit by a splash of water on his back. He inhaled sharply, turning around to Liv's giddy laughter._

“ _Your face, Daddy!”_

Oh, you think that's funny? Wait till I get my hands on you!

_She turned to hurry in the opposite direction before he could follow through on his promise, but he didn't give up so easily, chasing her around until she was out of breath and yielded._

_The three of them played around in the water until Mike left the girls to it, getting Harvey and himself the promised coffee after making sure they were always in sight. Harvey had emerged from the shower by the time he handed him his cup, and Mike stayed to meet their housekeeper before he made Harvey drop everything and join them outside, getting treated to the same cold shower he had gotten earlier._

_Their housekeeper spoke English, and so Harvey didn't realize Mike wasn't as clueless as him until they sat in a cafe for a late breakfast and he started rattling off their order in heavily accented, but otherwise flawless French._

_Mike could feel his eyes boring into his skull, and he hid his grin as he finished on, “Et un pain au chocolat pour moi, s'il vous plaît.”_

_The waitress nodded, scribbling onto her pad. “Tout de suite, Monsieur. Voulez-vous plus de café?”_

“ _Oui, merci. Et encore de jus pour mes filles, s'il vous plaît.”_

“ _Bien sur. Un petit moment, Monsieur.”_

_Harvey barely waited until she'd turned her back before he asked, “You speak French? Wait, what am I saying. Of course you do.” Mike grinned when he shook his head. “I don't know why I'm even surprised.”_

“ _Jealous?”_

_Harvey leaned in, his breath brushing his ear as he murmured, “No. Just immensely turned on.”_

_Mike laughed, checking if the girls were paying attention before he leaned in as well and whispered, “C'est très dangereux, si tu dis quelque chose comme ça dans un espace public. C'est ma donne des idées. Mais je peux dire plus dès que nous sommes seuls...”_

_Harvey obviously didn't understand what he was saying, but the promise resonating in his words was clear enough. He licked his lips, his throat bobbing as he sat back._

“ _You'll have to elaborate on that later,” he remarked, reaching for his coffee. Mike grinned._

“ _Oh, I intend to.”_

“ _What did you just say, Daddy?” Liv wanted to know, and Mike bit back a laugh and cleared his throat._

“ _I was speaking French, love,” he evaded the question, knowing it bothered her when she didn't understand something. “Do you want me to teach you a few words?”_

_Liv nodded avidly, and Nela leaned in, clapping her hands. “Me too, Daddy, please!”_

“ _Alright, sure,” Mike agreed, choosing a few words he continued to quiz them on over breakfast. It was fun, teaching the girls and a moderately attentive Harvey some basic French, who seemed more interested in staring at him as he enunciated the words than trying them out himself._

_He asked Mike to order another croissant and some more coffee when they were done, and though Mike suspected that he only did it to hear him speak again, he gladly complied._

“ _So,” Harvey asked when he'd received a fresh cup of coffee, sitting back with a content expression, “what's the plan for today?”_

“ _I thought we could explore the area a little,” Mike proposed. “See what it looks like around here, get a feeling for the place, you know?”_

“ _And snap a few hundred pictures?” Harvey teased, glancing at the camera sitting on the table between them._

“ _Yeah, well. You think I'm not gonna take pictures the one time I get to see France? The one time the four of us manage to go on an actual vacation? I think not.”_

“ _I never said I wanted you to stop,” Harvey pointed out, smiling. “I like that plan. What do you think, girls? You wanna see what this place has to offer after breakfast?”_

_Mike suspected that they would pretty much be on board with anything they suggested, the excitement about being in a strange place not having worn off in the slightest, but it still made him smile to see them nod avidly._

“ _That's settled then,” he decided, waving the waitress over for the bill._

_They didn't stray far that first time, knowing they had days ahead to see everything, instead getting acquainted with the sights nearby. Mike knew that this place wasn't an accurate reflection of the country, too altered to cater to tourists to be entirely authentic, but what they saw were enough glimpses of a life so different from the one they knew that it was undeniable that they weren't at home, and Mike loved every second of it._

_They spent a good two hours exploring the area before Liv complained that she was hungry – where she put all the food was beyond Mike – and they chose a nice restaurant for lunch. Of course it was left to Mike to place their order now that it was out that he spoke French, and enunciating the words as best as he could while holding Harvey's gaze was a special kind of fun he was sure he'd pay for later. Not that he minded._

_The food was delicious (Mike really enjoyed his savory crêpe, but actually preferred Harvey's baked Camembert), and once they'd cleared their plates he leaned back with a content sigh. “What now?”_

“ _Beach!” Liv exclaimed, and Nela nodded along._

“ _Okay, sure. But no swimming so soon after lunch.”_

 _The girls' faces fell before Nela perked up, patting Liv's arm._ We can look for shells!

“ _That's a great idea! And I'm sure your dad will be happy to build a sandcastle with you guys.”_

“ _Oh, will he?” Harvey inquired idly, the corner of his mouth lifting when Mike grinned._

“ _Of course. And I'll be happy to take dozens of pictures of you in the meantime.”_

“ _Well, as long as everyone's happy.”_

_Nela and Liv did collect shells – after the nap he had predicted that morning – and Harvey did build a castle with them, in the end needing no persuasion at all like Mike had suspected. The girls insisted on going for another swim before dinner, and they returned to the beach afterwards, running a few feet ahead to play tag while Harvey and Mike strolled after them, their hands firmly locked._

“ _You know,” Mike said, watching Nela and Liv sign something to each other, “coming here may have been the best idea we've ever had. If there's such a place as paradise, I think this comes pretty close.”_

“ _It's not the place as much as the people you go there with,” Harvey remarked, glancing at him. “Isn't that what they say?”_

_Mike grinned. “You old sap.”_

“ _Careful.”_

“ _You're old,” Mike repeated, his grin growing. “You're an old sap. And I love you.”_

_Harvey sighed in defeat, but his eyes were soft with fondness as he said, “I love you too. Even though you're an idiot.”_

_Mike wiggled his eyebrows. “Watching the sun set over the sea with your idiot husband and your daughters playing on the beach? I can think of worse things.”_

“ _Yeah,” Harvey agreed, wrapping an arm around him with a smile. “I can, too.”_

_As beautiful as the first day was, the next one only got better. There was something about this place that made Mike feel like being in a bubble, rendering the outside world far away and meaningless for a few precious days._

_It was a daily routine Mike could have gotten used to; going for a morning swim after waking up, having croissants and chocolate bread for breakfast in charming cafes, exploring the area throughout the day before returning to the beach to laze around until it was time to wash the saltwater off his skin and brush the sand out of the girls' hair every evening._

_But as beautiful as the days were, the nights may just have been his favorite part._

_The four of them usually spent the evenings sitting on the terrace of their house, playing games, talking, or just looking out on the sea. Mike's camera was always there and frequently in use, but he made sure to sit back and just take in the scenes before him every once in a while too. Seeing Harvey this relaxed, having left the usual air of composure and superiority he carried himself with in New York, was just too good to pass up on. Mike had never known Harvey to go on a vacation, but he couldn't for the life of him understand why as he looked at him now._

_Of course, seeing him and the girls so happy only added to his own elation. Mike's heart felt like it was double its usual size whenever he saw Liv and Nela laughing, staring at the sea, or snuggling against Harvey when the temperature dropped, Harvey's hand caressing their hair gently as he wrapped an arm around them to pull them closer._

_They usually stayed outside despite the surprisingly strong wind tousling their hair until either Nela or Liv finally caved and gave in to her drooping lids. Their bedtime had been pushed back for the duration of their stay, but they slept like a stone when they did go to bed after running themselves ragged all day. Which, as it turned out, was their luck._

_If Mike hadn't rid Harvey of his clothes the second they were alone each night, Harvey would have done it for him. They were barely inside their room before Harvey shut the door and stepped into Mike's arms, their hands grasping the fabric of their clothes as they kissed like they hadn't touched in ages._

_Harvey growled when Mike licked into his mouth, taking matters into his own hands, and he had Mike halfway out of his clothes before he could get as much as a hand on him. Determined to redeem that, Mike quickly stepped out of his shorts before he reached for him._

“ _We need to be quiet,” he whispered, fumbling to unbutton Harvey's shirt, his lips ghosting over his mouth sufficiently distracting him from the task._

“ _I know.” Harvey nipped his jaw, then drew back. “Does that mean I can't do anything to make you scream tonight?” he mused, proceeding to kiss Mike hungrily as he rubbed his cock in a way that left him weak in the knees._

“ _Shit,” Mike cursed, fiddling with the button of Harvey's pants. “Oh god, you're gonna kill me, aren't you?”_

“ _No idea what you're talking about,” Harvey murmured, promptly making Mike hiss as he palmed his cock through his underwear again._

_Well, two could play that game._

_Harvey gasped when Mike bit his jaw, drawing a loud moan from him when he licked over the spot to soothe it._

_Mike chuckled as he walked them backwards. “What was that about keeping quiet?”_

“ _You're not playing fair. That was entirely your fault.”_

“ _Well, you only said you couldn't make_ me _scream. You, however...”_

_Mike grinned at him as his legs hit the bed, giggling when they toppled over. Harvey's arms wrapped around him as he joined in._

“ _Shh.”_

“ _I know, I know.”_

_They kissed again, still chuckling, and they didn't stop as their hands went exploring again and they started rubbing against each other, the need to keep quiet rendering everything hilarious for some reason._

_All the better, Mike thought. Harvey tasted so much sweeter with the laughter still on his lips._

_Mike still loved being with Harvey, even after all the time they had spent together. He still loved Harvey's body, loved tasting it, touching it, reading it as he worked him to completion. That night was no different. The years they had behind them had left him experienced, fluent in the language of Harvey's body as Harvey was in his, and he loved making use of it._

_Harvey clearly did, too. The sex was sweet and familiar, full of praise and worship too, whispered in every brush of his hands. As it turned out, the-kids-are-asleep-next-door-sex with countless giggles and shushes, muffled moans and the slick sounds of their bodies coming together was pretty damn spectacular._

_It was a life Mike could have gotten used to. They spent their days doing whatever they felt like, stuffed their faces with French food, Harvey and Liv went sailing while Mike and Nela explored a nearby castle, Mike fell asleep on the beach and woke up with a sunburned nose, Nela spent over two hours searching the sand before she'd found a perfect shell for each of them, Liv had to practically be dragged out of the sea on more than one occasion, and before they knew it, the week was coming to a close._

_On their last night, they took a long walk on the beach before retreating to the terrace. Harvey and Mike allowed the girls to stay up late until Liv had fallen asleep with her head in Harvey's lap and Nela was leaning against Mike with her eyes closed._

_Harvey carried Liv inside when the temperature dropped too low for the blankets to keep her warm, and Mike sat there for another minute, taking in the sounds of the sea and the warm weight of his daughter leaning against him under the night sky, before gently nudging Nela to get her to move. She stumbled inside with little protest, only sighing when Mike dropped a kiss on her head and wished her sweet dreams._

_Harvey stepped in when he closed the door behind him, rubbing his arm. “Tired?”_

“ _Yeah. But it's our last night, I don't wanna sleep yet.”_

“ _Then let's not.”_

_Mike smiled. “Another walk on the beach in the moonlight?”_

_Harvey raised his eyebrows. “While we still have the chance...”_

“ _You're such a romantic.”_

_Harvey cupped his cheek, only kissing him in reply._

“ _I love how you don't even deny it anymore,” Mike whispered once he'd drawn back._

_They closed the door behind them quietly, leaving their shoes off as they stepped onto the beach. It was nearly deserted this time of the night._

_The sand was cool beneath their feet. Their fingers locked naturally as they walked, going on until the house had disappeared from sight behind them, and by some unspoken agreement they stopped and watched the sea stretching out before them._

_Mike hummed, watching the waves lapping at his feet._

“ _Are you thinking what I'm thinking?”_

“ _That we should totally go for a midnight swim and never tell the girls about it because there's no way they'd let us live it down?”_

_Harvey smirked, unbuttoning his shirt. “You read my mind.”_

_They left their clothes in a pile where the water wouldn't reach them – Harvey's still somewhat folded, Mike noted with a shake of his head – before heading into the waves together._

“ _Oh, holy crap,” Mike gasped, sucking in a sharp breath. “That's cold as fuck.”_

“ _We need to move,” Harvey said, pulling Mike along until they were hips-deep in the water._

“ _This was a terrible idea,” Mike moaned, struggling against the cold stealing all the air out of his lungs. Harvey's hand shifted in his until he'd laced their fingers together, gently pulling him in. The warmth of his chest drew Mike closer like a magnet._

“ _Really?” he murmured, smirking before he captured Mike's lips in a kiss that left him breathless for an entirely different reason._

_His chest was heaving when Harvey finally drew back to gaze at him, his hand a warm weight at the small of his back._

“ _Okay.” Mike licked his lips. “Maybe not so terrible after all. My blood is flowing again, thanks.”_

_They floated for a while, then swam when their limbs got cold, sharing a few salty kisses in the moonlight until the discomfort started weighing out the magical air the night cast over them._

“ _I'm seriously freezing my butt off,” Mike announced after a few minutes._

“ _Well, we can't have that. I'm very fond of that butt,” Harvey remarked, the water sliding off him as he rose to his full height, the appealing sight making Mike forget all about the cold._

_At least until he stood on the beach in front of his clothes, willing his skin to dry faster so he could get dressed. Harvey laughed at him for complaining about not bringing a towel, clearly less affected by the freezing cold than him._

_Their shorts got damp even though they waited a while before putting them back on, but that couldn't be helped now. Mike had a feeling they wouldn't wear them for long anyway. He reached for his shirt, giving Harvey a contemplative look._

“ _What are you thinking?”_

“ _I'm thinking about how we spent an entire week here and didn't have sex on the beach once.”_

“ _That's because it's uncomfortable and gross and I want no part in it.”_

_Mike blinked at him. “Are you speaking from experience here or...?”_

_Instead of replying Harvey graced him with a look that told him absolutely nothing before turning away._

“ _So, like, that's a no?” Mike asked, falling into step beside him._

“ _Yes. Trust me, you do not want sand to end up in the places it inevitably would. Also, it's probably illegal, so there's that.”_

“ _Well, that's never stopped us from doing something before.”_

“ _That's true,” Harvey conceded, “but this is different. I have no desire to still find sand on me a week from now.”_

_Mike just raised his eyebrows._

“ _Mike. No. We are not having sex on the beach.”_

“ _You sure?”_

“ _A hundred percent.”_

“ _It's really out of the question. I mean, completely?”_

“Mike _.”_

_Mike sighed. “Fine.” Then he smirked. “Are we having sex in our room when we get back?”_

_Harvey rolled his eyes, but couldn't help the smile taking over his lips. “Yes, we are.”_

“ _Good. Because I'll have you know, I'm very disappointed that my dream isn't going to come true.”_

“ _Well, we have to do something about that as soon as possible,” Harvey gave back, lacing their hands together as he guided him back to the house, where he spent a good hour making it up to Mike before they fell asleep sweaty and entangled, which wasn't exactly sex on the beach but turned out to be a splendid way to spend their last night nevertheless._

_They got ready the next morning after breakfast, taking a final walk before they had to leave for the airport. It was with a heavy heart that Mike packed his things, checking twice if they'd forgotten anything. His eyes lingered on the sea until it was time to go before he finally turned his back, taking with him enough memories to last a lifetime._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Et un pain au chocolat pour moi, s'il vous plaît.” = And a pain au chocolat for me, please.  
> “Tout de suite, Monsieur. Voulez-vous plus de café?” = Right away, sir. Would you like some more coffee?  
> “Oui, merci. Et encore de jus pour mes filles, s'il vous plaît.” = Yes, thanks. And some more juice for my daughters, please.  
> “Bien sur. Un petit moment, Monsieur.” = Of course. Just a moment, sir.  
> "C'est très dangereux, si tu dis quelque chose comme ça dans un espace public. C'est ma donne des idées. Mais je peux dire plus dès que nous sommes seuls...” = That's very dangerous, you saying things like that in public. It's giving me ideas. But I can tell you more once we're alone...
> 
> It's been a while since I studied French, so I'm sorry if there are any mistakes ;)


	5. Chapter 5

Mike wishes he knew what triggered it in the end, but he doesn't. He can't for the life of him make sense of what happened, and the only consolation is that Harvey is probably even more confused by the entire situation than he is. Which, on second thought, doesn't make him feel better at all.

It's a completely ordinary Tuesday, and while Mike has not been oblivious to the weariness making a home in his bones lately, there was nothing indicating that today would be different from the other days where he could just hold it inside and ignore it.

He's in the bedroom, putting away some laundry while Harvey tells him about a client he had to deal with earlier. He came to the firm years after Mike left, so he's never had the pleasure, but he heard a lot about him and his usually ludicrous demands.

“He had a go at me for not getting him a better deal,” Harvey is saying, rolling his eyes, “and I told him that if he wasn't going to come to New York to take care of it himself, this was the best I or anyone else could do for him. So his next great idea was for me to come to him. For a _week_. I just told him, you want me to spend a week in Washington only to listen to you complaining again? That's not happening.”

Mike stops short, the rest of his words barely registering. “No.”

Harvey looks up. “Sorry?”

“No, you're not- you're not leaving. No way.”

“Yeah, that's what I said,” Harvey gives back, frowning at him. “Are you alright?”

Mike wants to say that yes, of course he's alright and why the hell wouldn't he be, but that would probably be a lie, seeing as his throat is doing something very uncomfortable right now, a sudden tightness seeming to prevent the air from reaching his lungs, and Mike doesn't know what's going on but he would very much like for it to stop because it feels terrible and he's not even going to pretend that this isn't alarming.

He'd say as much, if the inexplicable ringing noise in his ears wasn't distracting him.

“I'm...” He swallows again and again, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat, but it only seems to grow bigger until he can barely breathe. His heart is pounding in his chest like it's gone rabid. It hurts. It really fucking hurts, and it's racing against his rib cage like it wants to get out, but there is nothing Mike can do but take it, take it, take it, and the bleak realization of his own powerlessness amidst his body's chaos makes his knees give in.

“Oh, hell,” he mutters, sinking onto the bed. His vision is blurring, but he can still make out the strange angle of Harvey's face as it appears in front of him, his tight frown standing out like a sore thumb.

“Mike? What's wrong?”

His ears keep ringing and for some reason that's what he focuses on, shaking his head to get rid of the annoying sound. Harvey grabs his sweaty palms, trying to get him to look at him.

“Mike.”

“I'm-”

“You're hyperventilating,” Harvey states, and it's not a question but Mike still shakes his head, trying to get himself under control. He sucks in a sharp breath, barely registering Harvey coming closer or his hand on his arm as he crouches down beside him.

“Mike, you're scaring me. Please tell me what's wrong.”

“ _I don't know,”_ Mike mouths, still shaking his head. He can't breathe. He can't get his throat to let the air pass. He's suffocating, he's sure of it.

“Jesus, are you having a panic attack?”

A detached part of Mike examines that suggestion with mild curiosity, acknowledging that it's probably what's happening to him. Most of him is still too busy trying to force air into his lungs to think about the what and why.

“Think so,” he gets out, searching his mind for some breathing technique he read about and applying it with moderate success. He still feels like he's going to pass out from lack of oxygen, but at least it distracts him from the pounding in his ears he's realizing must be the echo of his own heartbeat.

“I'm fine,” he makes himself say, repeating it over and over in an attempt to get either Harvey or himself to believe it. If he says it often enough it will become true, he tells himself. He's fine.

He's not fine. He's ten seconds away from passing out, Harvey is looking at him like he's going to drop dead any minute, and Mike just wants it to stop.

“I... don't know what to do,” Harvey confesses, his eyes wide as he stares at him, and the sight of his helplessness only makes Mike feel worse. “Can I touch you?”

Mike nods, and a second later Harvey's hands are on him again, hesitant and gentle. Too gentle. It's not enough, not enough to distract Mike from the fact that he's suffocating, not enough to block out the trepidation constricting his chest.

He hangs his hand, unable to decide if he wants to curl in on himself or lie back and wait until whatever this is has passed. What he does know is that he wants, _needs_ Harvey, though. He needs him closer, needs to feel him there with him until everything else has faded away.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry,” he mutters, not knowing what he's apologizing for but convinced that there has to be something. “I'll be fine, please, can you just- can you just hold me?”

“Of course,” Harvey says, and while his words are clearly puzzled, his hands are nothing but a steady, comforting crutch Mike can lean on until the tightness in his chest loosens and he can breath a little easier again.

Harvey doesn't seem to mind Mike clinging to him like a lifeline. He guides them backwards until they are lying on the bed, and Mike holds on for dear life until the overwhelming trepidation finally ceases, leaving only a bone-deep weariness in its place. He's exhausted beyond words, but the worst has passed. He can think again. He can breathe.

“God, that was scary as shit,” he mutters. Harvey's breath tickles his ear as he exhales.

“Tell me about it.”

He sits up, facing Mike to take a good look at him. “Are you alright?”

Mike wipes his nose, taking a deep breath. “Yeah, I think so.” Glancing at Harvey, he mumbles, “I'm sorry.”

“Don't be. You have nothing to be sorry for.” Harvey's frown creases his forehead as he regards him. “Want to tell me what's going on with you?”

“Would if I could.”

“Has something like this happened before?”

“No.” Mike lifts his shoulders, shaking his head. “I don't know what that was. Probably stress or something.”

“You don't usually get panic attacks when you're stressed,” Harvey points out. Mike purses his lips, looking at the floor.

“I've just been feeling off lately, I can't... I don't know what it is. I think I just need a break.”

“A break,” Harvey echoes. “From what?”

“I don't know. Not you, just... things.”

He knows he's not being helpful, but that's as clearly as he can express himself right now. He feels like his head is stuffed with cotton. He can barely muster the energy to think, an entirely novel and decidedly unpleasant sensation for him.

Harvey doesn't say anything. When he eventually speaks, he sounds as lost as Mike feels. “How about I go and make you some tea while you take a moment to... think things over?”

Mike knows what it is, an attempt to offer some comfort as much as the need to take a step back and clear his head. Mike could probably use a moment to himself too, no matter how much his chest tightens at the thought of Harvey leaving him, and so he nods and makes himself smile even though he knows Harvey will see right through it.

“That would be great, yeah. Thanks.”

He swallows thickly as he watches him go, half expecting to start panicking again, but there's only a dull hollowness in him where the trepidation sat a few minutes ago. The fight has left him. The heaviness of this exhaustion is definitely not pleasant either, but it's something he can handle better than irrational hyperventilation, so he chooses to consider it a victory.

He has no idea how long he is by himself before he hears footsteps again, but it feels like an eternity.

When he looks up, he doesn't find Harvey leaning in the doorway. It's Liv, raising her eyebrows at him.

“Hey, Daddy. Dad just knocked on my door and asked me if I know what's wrong with you. What's the matter?”

Mike smiles weakly. “Would you believe me if I said nothing?”

Liv just gives him a look, and Mike sighs. “Yeah, I didn't think so.”

He looks at his hands as she comes in, sitting down next to him. “Hey,” she says, nudging his side. “You know you can talk to me, right?”

Mike chuckles, glancing up. “Isn't that usually my part?”

He should probably feel weird about his daughter seeing him so low, but he doesn't. It's what he cherishes most about their family, that there is never any need to hide from each other.

She smiles, bumping his shoulder. “Everyone needs to be told sometimes. Look, I know I'm only sixteen and all, but I think I'm a pretty good listener.”

“You are,” Mike agrees, squeezing her hand. “And you're not only sixteen. I can't believe you're already this old.” He glances at her, taking a deep breath as he says, “I'm just feeling a little lost, Liv. I don't even know why. It's not that I'm unhappy, it's just been... rough, lately.”

“You mean ever since dad was in the hospital?” she asks knowingly.

Mike is silent. “Yeah,” he finally admits.

“Because it made you realize he's not immortal?”

The words ring true, surprisingly so. Mike takes a moment to think them over, feeling around the edges of them until he has to admit that she's right. He supposes that's what lies at the core of it. Now that he's put a name on the feeling, it's staring him right in the face, impossible to deny any longer.

“Yeah,” Mike repeats quietly, finally acknowledging it to himself. “I guess it did.”

He swallows as he shakes his head, suddenly feeling the need to explain himself.

 _I knew that, of course,_ he signs. _But I've always been able to push it to the back of my mind so I wouldn't have to think about it, because it wasn't relevant. But now it suddenly is, and it just hit me a lot harder than I thought it would._

He sucks in his lip, scowling at his lap. “That's the downside to having something so wonderful and precious. The thought of losing it...”

“It hurts,” Liv finishes quietly. “I know. And it scares the shit out of you, doesn't it?”

Mike nods mutely.

“It's like this light that never goddamn goes out, no matter how much you try to look the other way. Jesus, it's all I can think about sometimes. And I try not to, because it's pointless and it makes me feel terrible, but some days it's just bigger than me. I just can't fight it. Because it's everywhere.”

He lets out a slow breath. His heart is pounding again, but not the way it did a few minutes ago. No, this time he just aches with the weight of finally admitting what's been dragging him down for weeks.

Liv just nods, like his garbled rambling actually makes sense to her. He supposes that it does.

“I know. It feels like it could consume everything if you let it, doesn't it? But you can't live your life like that. At one point we all have to go. You can't change that, and worrying about it constantly isn't gonna stop it from happening. It's only going to take the joy out of the time you have.” She nudges him. _We've all had to face death, you more than any of us. You know it's just part of life._

“Yeah.” Mike heaves a sigh. _But knowing and accepting it are two very different things._

“I know. But dad is alright, remember? He's nowhere near dying yet. I know you have lost too many people in your life already, Daddy, but all of us are still here. We're not going anywhere. You're gonna be stuck with us for a long time, and you can't sit around and worry about something happening to us every second. You have to make your peace with it. It happens when it happens, but until then it's pointless to think about it. Because right now we're together and we have each other. And that's all that matters.”

Mike swallows, the mere thought of losing Harvey or the girls making his throat close up. He knows she's right, though. And it's a goddamn hard piece of work to actually get there, but he knows he can't go on like this. He knows he needs to make an effort. If not for himself, then for them.

“I know that. And I know I can't stop it or keep you all safe by worrying about it constantly, and that I have to accept that. It's just not easy to put into practice.” He huffs, shaking his head. “God, I even had a goddamn course on loss at uni and I still can't deal with it. You'd think that by now I'd be good at goodbyes, but I can't even stand the thought of them.”

“Yeah, I don't think that's something you ever really get used to.” Liv smiles at him. “But it's okay, Daddy. This is just like pulling a tooth, or the time dad sat Nela down to tell her that they were going bra shopping for the first time. It's uncomfortable, but you just have to push through.”

Mike lets out an involuntary chuckle at the memory of when Nela was on the cusp of puberty and her old clothes didn't really cut it anymore. Neither him nor Harvey were particularly excited for that talk. Mike wanted to ask Rachel to do it, but Harvey shook his head, telling him, “No, we need to be able to handle these things by ourselves. She's our daughter, for god's sake. She needs to know she can come talk to us about... stuff like that. I'm gonna do it.”

Mike admired his resolution, and though he agreed with the sentiment, he was quite happy to let Harvey handle that conversation.

Harvey has always been the strong one between the two of them, determined to fight his way through anything. But Mike has had his fair share of things he had to deal with. He had to learn to be strong too. And if being with Harvey has taught him one thing, it's that they are even stronger together. They make each other hold on. And no matter how hard it is, he can lean on him and get through this if he just tries.

He lets out a deep breath, licking his lips as he glances at Liv. “When did you get so wise?”

“Guess that's just my parents' influence.”

Liv smirks, and the look is so like Harvey that Mike can only laugh.

“You're so much like your father sometimes, you know that?”

“I'll be proud, if I ever am. Both of them.”

Mike smiles, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Look at you. All grown up.”

She grins at him. “Oh, no. I never wanna do that.”

Mike wraps an arm around her shoulders, pressing his lips against her temple. “I love you, sweetheart. Thank you.”

“Love you too, Daddy. Now go talk to dad about what's been going on, okay? He's worried about you, and I can't stand the two of you hovering around each other like that. You're supposed to be a team.”

“Yeah.” Mike straightens, taking a deep breath. “Yeah, you're right. I'll talk to him.”

* * *

_Mike glanced at the clock when he heard the front door opening. It was past noon, too early for either Harvey or Nela to come home. It had to be Liv, running late._

“ _Hey, you!” he called out._

_He looked up when there was no reply, his face instantly falling at the sight of his daughter._

“ _What's wrong?”_

_Liv looked a mess, like she was desperately trying to hold it together but just couldn't do it any longer. She only shook her head, looking away instead of meeting his eyes. Her fists clenched at her sides. Mike dropped his book, getting up to approach her with a sinking sensation in his stomach._

Liv? What's going on, sweetheart? You're scaring me.

 _Liv's lip trembled. “It's Aaron,” she got out, the words seeming to cost her a world of effort. “He's sick, Daddy. He's_ dying _.”_

_The words seemed to tear down her last bit of composure, as she started crying before she'd even finished. The tears were barely rolling down her cheeks before Mike stepped in and gathered her in his arms, murmuring, “Hey, it's alright, I've got you,” the words absolutely meaningless, but he could think of nothing else to say._

_What could there be said? He didn't know what was going on with Aaron, but even if he did, he had no idea how to explain to his daughter why a fourteen year old boy was dying. Some things just couldn't be explained, they never made sense. Mike had learned that at a young age._

_He just wished Liv didn't have to do the same._

_It was cancer, Liv explained through her hiccups later once she'd calmed down. Mike had steered her to the sofa, letting her wet his shirt until the tears had dried out, rubbing her back soothingly to offer the only comfort he could._

“ _What kind of cancer?” Mike asked, his hair standing on end at the mere thought. Even entertaining the idea of one of his children getting sick made him want to despair. He couldn't imagine what Aaron's parents had to be going through._

“ _Pancreatic,” Liv told him quietly._

“ _Jesus.” Mike didn't know much about medicine, but he knew that this one was bad, even for cancer. Judging by Liv's face, she knew it too._

“ _How long does he have?” he asked, knowing there was no point in beating around the bush._

“ _A few months at most.” Liv sniffed. “The doctors said not more than half a year.”_

“ _God. Is he still coming to school?”_

“ _He wants to for as long as he can, but he's gonna be in the hospital soon for treatments. I don't even know why, if he's gonna die anyway...”_

_Mike winced at the tone of her voice, wielding the words like a weapon. He understood where she was coming from, though. He honestly didn't know what he would do himself, extend his suffering to stay alive longer or die sooner, but after having spent his last weeks outside a hospital. He hoped to God that he'd never need to find an answer to it._

That's a decision everyone has to make for themselves. It's not something other people can always understand.

_Liv inhaled deeply, the simple motion so full of despair that Mike ached with it on her behalf._

“ _I don't understand any of this, Daddy. It's so unfair. I'm not- I don't know what to do. I feel so terrible.”_

“ _Of course you do. There's no right way to deal with something like this. It just sucks.” Mike let out a slow breath. “Do you need me to do anything, love? Is there anything I can do to make it better?”_

_Liv wiped her nose, pulling her shoulders up as she stared at the floor. Her voice was thick when she eventually mumbled, “Please, can we just stay here?”_

_Mike's stomach contracted in sympathy. He knew it wasn't easy for her to ask for help, to let someone see her like this, and the fact that she wanted him there with her was a testament to how deep the grief she was facing actually sat._

“ _Of course,” he murmured, dropping a kiss on her hair. “Of course, sweetheart. As long as you need to.”_

_He didn't keep track of how long they stayed on the sofa, cuddling up in a way they hadn't done nearly enough in recent years, but it was a long time before either of them moved again. Mike stuck with Liv's silence, and he was secretly glad that Harvey and Nela didn't come home in the meantime. Not because he didn't want them to know, they'd find out soon enough, but because it gave Liv the chance to deal with her feelings without interruption, to let her grief out without needing to pay attention to anything else._

_She still looked miserable when she eventually sat up, her eyes and nose red, but Mike could see that some of the desperation had left her. It was a process, he knew that, and the hardest part was still ahead, but it was a start._

“ _Alright?” he asked quietly._

_She nodded, swallowing before she spoke. “I think I just need to be alone right now.”_

_Mike brushed her cheek, attempting a smile. “You take all the time you need, okay? And if there's anything we can do to make this easier, you tell us. We're all here for you. We're gonna get through this together, alright? Every step of the way.”_

_Liv nodded mutely. “Thank you,” she got out, her arms wrapped around herself. Mike pulled her closer, pressing his lips to her forehead. He inhaled deeply as he closed his eyes, then dropped a kiss there before he let her go._

_Aaron lived to be fifteen._

_He'd gotten barely half a year after his diagnosis, less than six months for everyone to prepare for the one thing you could never be prepared for. It was the first time Liv was faced with death in all its terrible, bleak finality, having been too young to understand when her grandfather had died, and even though Mike had been younger than her when he had first experienced loss, he thought it was too soon. Or maybe because of it._

_Both Harvey and him took a day off to attend the funeral with Liv, who put on her best clothes and her brave face and broke Mike's heart every time he looked at her._

_She made it through the first half of the funeral before the tears overcame her, spending the rest of the time crying into Harvey's jacket. Mike could barely keep it together himself, seeing his daughter like this, Harvey's grave expression, his gentle hand on her arm, his lips on her head as he kissed it. It hit a little too close to home and hurt in an entirely new way at the same time, ensuring that Liv wasn't the only one at the end of her rope when they got home afterwards._

_They'd spent the ride without speaking, the occasional tear running down Liv's cheek in dejected silence. Harvey hadn't let go of Liv's hand the entire time. It almost felt strange to get back to the house, everything as familiar and homely as it had been before, like a fundamental shift of Liv's world hadn't just occurred._

Alright? _, Harvey signed when he'd closed the door._

_Liv nodded. “Thanks for coming with me,” she muttered, wrapping her arms around Harvey before she turned around and went to her room. Mike looked after her, exhaling at the quiet click of her door closing._

“ _Good god,” he muttered, running a hand over his face. Harvey gave him the moment to compose himself, handing him a glass of water when he looked up again._

“ _Thanks.”_

_Harvey shook his head, glancing at Liv's door. “This is terrible.”_

_Terrible didn't begin to describe it, they both knew that, but Mike nodded anyway._

“ _I feel so helpless seeing her like this. I wish I knew how to make it better.”_

“ _Me too.” Harvey sighed. “We can't though, can we? There's nothing we can do to make this easier.”_

“ _No,” Mike agreed._

_Harvey took his hand. “Let's just give her some time.”_

_Mike knew it was the only thing they could do, but it was still hard to sit back and do nothing while his little girl was hurting._

_He knocked on Liv's door an hour later, a cup of tea in his hands. She was sitting on her bed, her shoes scattered around the floor, still wearing her dress. There was no indication that she'd moved at all since she'd disappeared into her room._

“ _Can I come in?”_

_She nodded, and Mike joined her on the bed, passing on the cup to her._

_She cleared her throat. “Thanks.”_

_Mike sat in silence as she took a sip, her fingers curling around the porcelain. Her eyes and nose were still red from crying, but the tears had long dried out. She sniffed, staring straight ahead with a scowl for the most part rather than actually drinking, but Mike hadn't expected anything else. It was a gesture more than anything._

“ _How are you feeling?” he asked into the quiet. It was a stupid question, he knew that, having been on the receiving end of it too many times, but he couldn't_ not _pose it. Liv knew he didn't want platitudes anyway, and she wasn't going to give him those. If the answer was shit, then she would say so._

_She was quiet for a long time. When she finally looked up, there was a burning force behind her eyes. “I want to do something.”_

_It wasn't what Mike had expected her to say, but he understood. He'd felt the same desire in the face of the helplessness loss brought with it, the need to act and do something to show the world that he wasn't silenced or defeated. That he may have been forced to accept this, but he didn't have to accept anything else. That this wasn't bigger than him. He'd felt it enough times to be intimately familiar with it, and so he just held her gaze and nodded._

“ _Then do something.”_

_Liv searched his face, swallowing before she nodded as well, and Mike knew that she knew he understood._

_She volunteered at the hospital ward for sick children the following week, diving headfirst into the work. Harvey was worried if being faced with the subject of death was going to help at first, but it quickly became clear that it was doing wonders for Liv. Mike thought that it gave her a way to channel her emotions and feel less powerless about them, and if she could take her grief and turn it into something good, something useful, he couldn't ask for anything more._

_Liv had a way of finding her path, as she was showing them again and again. They just had to learn to let her._

* * *

“Hey.”

Harvey looks up from the file Mike knows he wasn't actually reading. “Hey.”

“You didn't have to hide here while you sent Liv to talk to me, you know.”

“I didn't send her, she said she'd do it and told me to wait.” Harvey smiles a little, but his eyes are still full of concern. “You alright?”

“Yeah.” Mike clears his throat, taking a seat next to him. “Yeah, I'm good. I... I think I know what's brought this on. And we should probably talk about it.”

He winces at how ominous that sounds, but Harvey just nods and turns to face him, probably already expecting the worst. Mike reaches for his hand, knowing that this will be easier if he touches him.

Keeping his eyes on their intertwined fingers, he searches for the right words. “You know I worry a lot, right?” he finally begins. “I tend to... overthink certain things. My mind gets stuck on them and it puts me in a bad mood, and that's been happening a lot lately. And I don't want it to, but I can't help that I'm... scared. Terrified, actually.”

Harvey is quiet. “Terrified of what?”

Mike lets out a deep breath. “Of something happening to you. Or Nela, or Liv, but especially you ever since your heart and everything. Because seeing you in that hospital made me goddamn terrified of losing you.”

God, even saying it makes his heart leap right back into his throat. He grips Harvey's hand, forcing himself to go on.

“I can't lose you.” He takes a deep breath, blinking at the floor. “And I know I might have to, one day. That's just how it goes, right? I'll probably, hopefully, never have to lose the girls, but you... I can't do anything about that. And I know I'll survive when it comes to that, I know I can go on afterwards, but I just- I really don't want to. I really don't.”

He shakes his head, finally managing to look Harvey in the eye. “You are everything to me, Harvey. I don't know what my life looks like without you anymore. And I don't really want to find out. So if I really have to, I want it to be as late as humanly possible. I guess that's why I've been a little... _very_ worried, lately. Sorry about that, by the way. I don't mean to get that way, I don't mean to belittle you. Or the girls. I just can't help it sometimes. The idea of losing you, it... it makes me crazy.”

Harvey has listened in silence. When Mike struggles to go on he shifts, cupping his cheek until he looks at him. Holding his gaze, he says, “Mike, nobody's going anywhere. The girls aren't going anywhere. I'm not going anywhere.”

Mike takes a shuddering breath. “I know you don't mean to. I know you're not leaving me unless you absolutely have to. But then you got yourself into the hospital and- you're in your fifties, Harvey, we're not exactly young anymore, and it scared the shit out of me. It made me confront the fact that I can't hold onto this forever. That I can't hold onto _you._ ”

Harvey inspects his face closely, a frown creasing his forehead.

“This is what you've been thinking about this whole time?” When Mike nods, Harvey sighs. He pulls him into a hug, holding him close as he mutters, “Why didn't you say anything? You didn't have to deal with this all by yourself.”

“I didn't want you to worry,” Mike gives back, his voice muffled. He takes a deep breath, inhaling Harvey's scent. It's so familiar, stirring something inside him in a way nothing else does. It's like comfort. Like home. “I hardly wanted to acknowledge it to myself. I don't like thinking about this, but after the thing with your heart I couldn't _not_ think about it and-”

“Mike,” Harvey interrupts him gently, pulling back as he shakes his head. “If you think I don't worry about you even when you don't tell me what's going on, I've got news for you. Did you think I didn't notice something was up with you?”

“No. Of course not. I just thought that if I pretended everything was fine, at one point it would be.” Mike sighs. “If I could have put it into words, I would have talked to you.”

“I know. Believe me, I of all people know how hard it can be to express what you're feeling. And it's not like I don't understand where you're coming from with this.” Harvey releases a deep breath as he regards him, almost a sigh. “You had to lose so much in your life already. It's not fair, and I wish I could take it back. But I can't do that. And I can't promise that I won't add to that one day.”

“Of course not,” Mike says quietly.

Harvey takes his hand. “In the event that I do die before you, you'll be alright. I know you will, because you are without a doubt the strongest person I know. But me dying, that's not happening for a long time yet. And you have to believe me when I say that I'm doing everything in my power to ensure that.” His lips curve up. “Even I can't defy death, but I'm damn well going to try.”

Mike lets out a quiet laugh, shaking his head. “Yeah, well, if anyone could argue his way out of death, it would probably be you.”

Harvey smiles, waving him closer. Mike leans into him, letting himself be rearranged until they are comfortable on the sofa, his head resting on Harvey's chest, the beating of his heart a constant comfort in his ear.

“I wish I could take this burden from you,” Harvey murmurs, his hand tracing Mike's spine. “I wish I could make it easier for you when it happens. But I'm still here, and I'll be here tomorrow, and the day after. Every step of the way, alright? Just tell me if you're struggling, and I'll do my best to help.”

Mike swallows, curling his hand around the fabric of Harvey's shirt. “It's already helping, knowing you're there with me.”

“I'm glad. I'll be here as long as I can, Mike. You know you never have to go through anything on your own.”

“Ever again,” Mike finishes, the old and familiar words putting a smile on his face he didn't think he had in him right now. “Yeah, I know. Thank you, though. For reminding me.”

Harvey just tightens his arms around him in response. Mike closes his eyes, accepting the gentle assurance for what it is, letting it fill him up and drown out the worries until, for the first time in weeks, his mind is peacefully, blessedly quiet.

* * *

Harvey stifles a sigh when he loses track of the sentence he's reading for the third time.

He didn't sleep well last night. He woke before the alarm, switching it off quietly before he settled back in to watch Mike's sleeping form, the images of his breakdown yesterday still too fresh in his mind. He couldn't help replaying them despite the peaceful look on Mike's face, so different from the downright panic and grief he saw there yesterday, that he's apparently been carrying around with him for weeks.

Harvey knew something was up with Mike, but he hadn't expected this. He didn't say so, but seeing him like that had shaken him to the core. He hasn't been able to stop thinking about it since. Obviously. Mike being in distress about something has never gotten any easier for Harvey to handle.

But it's not just that.

Jessica's voice echoes in his ears again – not for the first time that day, or since the night they talked, really – telling him that they aren't young anymore, that they have to face that even if it's uncomfortable. He shakes his head in annoyance, but the thought persists. It always does, even if he never admitted it to himself.

Well, maybe it's time to.

There was a moment in bed that morning when Harvey was watching Mike's face, the familiar lines he knows by heart, the way his cheek pressed against the pillow, his mouth a soft pout, and his heart suddenly ached with the thought of losing this. Be it because of Mike's worrying, or Harvey's heart acting up again, or any other of a dozen notions crossing his mind, he couldn't imagine a world where this wasn't what he woke up to every morning. Years ago, before any of this had happened, long before Nela and Liv had come to them and turned everything around, he never would have thought himself the type to settle down. He'd never wanted to, and there'd never been anyone he'd considered settling down with anyway. Not until Mike, that is.

But Mike crashed into his life, wormed his way inside and made a home there, and Harvey threw everything he'd thought he'd known about his future out of the window willingly. And before he knew it he'd settled down after all, and now he was looking at his husband of several years and the only thing he could think of was that there was no way in hell he would ever give that up.

The life they built for themselves is the greatest thing Harvey has ever achieved, and he doesn't say that lightly. It's outstanding and extraordinary and beautiful especially in its ordinariness, and it means everything to him. More than anything else he can think of. If he were to lose that for whatever reason...

Harvey's lips tighten when the case Nela brought him crosses his mind. He hasn't even met the man himself, but he is struck by a sudden wave of anger at the situation he's in. He built a life for himself too, only to be ripped from it. His whole world is here, and he was plucked from it, left to rot without dignity, without grace, and entirely defenseless in the face of it.

Harvey doesn't want that for himself. He never wants his dignity taken from him, in whatever way. He wants to age gracefully.

It's not something he ever consciously thought about before, but he is struck by the truth of it now, feeling it in his bones as he turns the thought over in his mind. He wants to grow old with grace. He wants to hold on to the things that matter until the very last moment, and anything else is dwindlingly unimportant.

Harvey sucks in his lip, considering what he never allowed himself to entertain before. He thinks of Jessica. He thinks of Mike's face, grief etched into it at the mere idea of losing him. He thinks of what the doctor told him before he left the hospital, what he never repeated to anyone, and he swallows against the feeling building in his stomach, knowing in some part of himself, without putting it into words yet, that going on the way he has isn't really an option anymore.

“Someone's looking deep in thought.”

Harvey glances up to find Donna in the doorway, her eyes trained on his face.

“You sound surprised. I've been known to think from time to time, believe it or not.”

“You sure about that? I can't say I ever noticed.”

“I wouldn't expect you to. It must take up a lot of time, sticking your nose in everyone's business.”

She gets into his office, taking a seat in front of his desk.

“Okay, we can sit here and go back and forth all day, but we both know something's up. So why don't you stop brooding and tell me what it is?”

Harvey lets out a sigh, having long ago given up trying to keep his moods from her. He entertains the idea of making a snarky remark and sending her away, but something holds him back. She's always been too good at reading him, too curious for her own good, but while she sometimes sticks her nose where it doesn't belong, more often than not it's actually been helpful to talk things through with her.

“Donna,” he begins, halting as he considers what to say, “have you ever struggled with making an... important decision, one that affected not just your life, but others around you too?”

She huffs. “Yeah, definitely. You know I have. Who hasn't?”

“What did you do?”

Donna purses her lips. “I'd tell you that I considered my options before settling on the one that made most of the people involved as happy as possible, but I'm guessing that's not what you want to hear, since it's exactly what you do every time. You wouldn't ask if that was all there is to it. You can't tell me you've never had to make a difficult decision before, Harvey. What makes this different?”

Harvey considers that before he says, “It's personal.”

Donna holds his gaze, and Harvey can tell she's debating with herself, but ultimately she doesn't ask. She would have, once upon a time. She always did, back when they were both younger and none of what's bothering Harvey now had ever crossed his mind.

But they aren't young anymore. They aren't, and maybe Jessica is right and it's time to act accordingly. For Donna that may mean keeping to herself instead of trying to fix everyone's messes all the time. For him... well, he knows what it means for him.

“I think,” Donna says, leaning back, “that most of the time you already know what's right, you just don't want to admit it to yourself. Because it's not the easy option.”

“No.” Harvey sighs. “I guess it isn't.”

Donna scrutinizes him before giving his hand a supportive squeeze.

“Look, I can't say more without knowing the details, but if you ask me, you know the answer in your heart.”

Harvey doesn't say anything to that, doesn't know what, but she doesn't seem to expect a reply. She just gets up, turning back to him at the door.

“Whatever it is that's eating at you, I hope you figure it out soon.”

“Yeah,” Harvey agrees quietly, watching her leave his office. “Yeah, I do too.”

He doesn't say what he's thinking, that he already knows what's right, has known for much longer than he cares to admit. Doing it, that's the hard part.

* * *

“I'm home!”

“Living room!” Mike calls out, smiling when Nela appears in sight. “Hey, you.”

“Hey,” she greets him, dropping her bag before giving him a quick hug.

“How're you doing?”

“I'm good.” She glances at him, then looks around. “Where's Liv?”

“At the ward until two.”

“And dad?”

“At the gym. You just missed him.”

She nods. “Good. I'm glad to catch you alone, actually. I wanted to talk to you.”

Mike looks up, distantly alarmed. “Is something wrong?”

“No, no, nothing like that.”

She sits down next to him, pursing her lips. “I wanted to ask you a question, but I wanna say something first. If you can't answer me honestly, I don't want any stories. Just tell me and I'll let it go.”

Mike frowns at her, but her face gives nothing away. He nods slowly. “Okay, now you've got my attention. Shoot. I promise I'll be honest.”

Nela presses her hands together. “Why did you stop being a lawyer?”

“Uh.”

Nela, clearly noticing that she caught Mike off guard, bites her lip.

“I know this is out of nowhere. But I saw you in that courtroom with dad last week. You were completely in your element. And I don't mean to say that you're unhappy with what you do now, because I've seen you at work and I know you're happy with what you do, but that... it was something else, like you'd rediscovered an old love of yours.” She pauses. “You loved being a lawyer, didn't you? And you were amazing at it. You and dad, you must have been incredible together. Why did you give that up? There _has_ to be something other than you just needing something new.”

Mike opens his mouth, then closes it again. He didn't expect this conversation at all and thus has nothing prepared he could say to her. But he promised her no stories, and he wouldn't give her one anyway. Lying by omission is one thing. Downright telling her something other than the truth is unthinkable.

Glancing at Nela, he is struck by the sudden desire to just come out and say it. Harvey and he never decided whether they would tell the girls one day or not. They just haven't so far, and Mike never even questioned why, but being put in this position without warning, he is starting to understand. How does he even begin to explain?

He is silent for a long time, turning the issue over in his head.

“I want to be honest with you,” he finally says. “But I need you to understand that this is going to change things. It's going to change the way you think of me. And your dad. The way you see us.”

Nela frowns, but nods. “I want to know,” she says. “Tell me.”

Mike sighs. He takes a deep breath, bracing himself, and then he tells her, “I never went to Harvard.” At her stunned silence he licks his lips, explaining, “I loved being a lawyer. I really did. But technically I never was one. Because I practiced without a degree all these years.”

He listens to his own breathing in the silence that follows, watching Nela's every move as her expression shifts with the emotions passing over it, eventually settling on curiosity. He can see that she searches for words, and finally she just asks, “How?”

Mike takes a deep breath before he tells her the story, leaving out only the more incriminating details concerning the suitcase full of weed as he confesses what he hasn't talked about in years.

Nela listens in silence. When the words finally dry out, she sits back and shakes her head.

“That's an incredible story.”

She sounds a little awestruck, caught between disbelief and admiration. Mike is just glad she isn't looking at him with contempt.

“I know,” he agrees quietly. “Sometimes I can't quite believe it either.”

Nela inspects his face, chewing her lip. Mike lets her think, remembering what it felt like to live through the story. He needed time to come to terms with it too.

“I should write a book about this,” she eventually mutters.

Mike snorts a little. “People would probably read that. It is a damn good story, isn't it? Please just alienate the details if you do.”

Nela chuckles. “Yeah, I don't really want people to start looking into your apparently criminal past.”

She's silent, shaking her head. Her eyes rest on him as she asks, more serious, “Why didn't you ever tell me before?”

“I didn't want you to think less of me.”

“You gave up your dream to keep me safe. And Liv, and dad. How could I ever think less of you for that?”

Mike laughs quietly. “That's not really the part I was worried about.”

“I know. But from what I gathered you were young, and desperate, and given the opportunity to do what you always wanted. People in better situations would have done the same. You never harmed anyone, you even did some good. And when it got too dangerous, you stopped. In my opinion, that's pretty admirable.”

Mike swallows. “Thank you.”

Nela smiles at him, wrapping an arm around his waist. “You made it possible for me to have a perfectly ordinary life. With parents who were always there when I needed them and typical teenager problems instead of having to worry about my father in prison. It should be me thanking you.”

“You know, hearing you say that means a lot to me. I didn't expect to have this conversation, but it's... it feels good. Having it out in the open.”

“And to not be judged, but accepted?” she adds knowingly.

Mike nods.

“I don't think you've ever done anything in your life I'd judge you for, Daddy. You're a good man, with a troubled past maybe, but which one of us is innocent?”

Mike chuckles. “I'd like to think you are.”

Nela laughs. “Well, if I am, it's only because of my dads' influence on me. They are good people, you know. With all their flaws and dubious pasts and everything.”

Mike regards her, swallowing against the lump in his throat. He leans in to kiss her temple, inhaling her familiar scent. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

“Thank _you_ , for trusting me with this. I'm really glad you did.” She pauses. “Are you gonna tell Liv?”

Mike exhales slowly. “I should, shouldn't I? It's not right, only one of you knowing. You two share everything, and she has a right to know too.”

Nela nods. “She's not going to make a big deal out of it,” she assures him, squeezing his hand.

“Yeah. I'll tell her. I mean, I have no idea when the right time to bring that up is, but I will.”

“Don't worry.” Nela smiles before pushing herself up from the sofa. “You'll figure it out. You want something to drink too? Coffee?”

And just like that the, massive, life-changing, existence-threatening secret he confided in her is forgotten. If he'd known it would be this easy, he would have told her ages ago. It's not something he carried around with himself, most of the time he didn't even consciously think about it anymore, but now that it's out in the open it's liberating nevertheless.

“Yeah, that would be great,” Mike agrees, leaning back with a smile. He'll figure out what to do about Liv in time. For now, he'll just allow himself to enjoy the feeling.

* * *

“ _You want what?”_

“ _I want a piercing,” Nela repeated, kneading her hands._

_Harvey stared at her. “No.”_

“I _want a piercing,” Liv piped up before Nela could as much as open her mouth. Harvey shot her a glare._

“No _.”_

“ _Why not?”_

“ _Because you're thirteen goddamn years old. And you're sixteen,” he said, turning to Nela with a shake of his head. “What the hell do you need a piercing for?”_

“ _I don't_ need _it, obviously, but I want one. What's so bad about that? Do you know what some of the other students in my class have?”_

“ _You're not the other students in your class, I don't give a shit what they do or don't have.”_

_Mike nearly snorted, pressing his lips together at Harvey using the words every parent in the world must have uttered a thousand times. He somehow felt like he wouldn't appreciate him laughing right now._

_Even so, Harvey turned to him. “Don't you have anything to say about this?”_

“ _Oh no, I'm good. You're handling this just fine.”_

“ _This is so unfair, you know that?” Nela cut in. “I never stay out late, I have good grades, I clean my room_ and _Liv's when she can't be bothered to do it, but I don't get to have this one thing?”_

_It was the wrong thing to say, and Mike could tell that Nela knew it as soon as the words were out. She didn't really feel that way, he knew, and he'd said worse things to get his Grammy to give in to his whims, but Harvey's expression grew incredulous all the same._

“ _Have this_ one thing? _” he repeated. “You have plenty of luxuries other kids can only dream of. A piercing is not going to be one of them, and that's final.”_

_Nela opened her mouth, then closed it and exhaled deeply. “Fine. Fine, whatever. It was just a question. No need to freak out about it.”_

_She got up, grabbing her half-eaten waffle as she made her way to her room. The door shut forcefully, but she didn't bang it, so Mike knew it was only a matter of time before she came out again._

_Harvey and Liv both stared after her, Harvey seemingly in shock, Liv looking deep in thought, probably still contemplating the possibility of a piercing. Mike just chuckled._

“ _Who wants more jam?”_

_Harvey took the jar he handed him, still a little dazed. “Thanks. Where the hell did that come from?”_

“ _That one show she's been watching has a character with piercings all over her, I guess that's it.”_

_Harvey looked stormy as he spread his jam. Mike elbowed him._

“ _Come on, it's a piercing. That's tame. There are much, much worse problems to have.”_

_Harvey held his gaze, the same thoughts of the danger they dodged probably crossing his mind. He nodded reluctantly._

“ _I mean, if I think about the things I got up to in my youth...”_

“ _Yeah, alright, don't give her any ideas. Or Liv.”_

“ _I have plenty ideas on my own,” Liv announced. Mike held back a snort at Harvey's expression._

“ _Oh, I believe it. I have the best one, though. How about another waffle?”_

“ _Yeah!” She nodded avidly, and he handed her one, getting the next one started already since it didn't look like Liv's hunger would be satisfied in the near future._

_Harvey soon let himself be distracted by a story Liv was telling, alternating between talking while she spread jam on her waffle and signing as she chewed. By the time dinner was ready Nela had already joined them again, laughing about one thing or another with Liv before elbowing Harvey to show him something._

_It was true, Mike thought to himself as he saw them grinning at each other. There really were much worse problems to have._


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a [moodboard for this story](http://andthetardis.tumblr.com/post/170422466094/safe-haven-we-have-time-mike-i-cant-give-you) on tumblr if you want to check it out!

“What do I have to do to get an appointment with the boss around here?”

Mike looks up, smiling when he sees Harvey leaning in the doorway.

“What are you doing here?”

“I left work early.”

“I can see that, but why?”

Harvey smirks at him. “I want to take you out.”

“Oh?” Mike sits back. “Another date night? Any particular reason?”

Harvey shrugs. “Well, with one kid part-time out of the house and the other old enough to be on her own, we should take advantage, don't you think? You've been having a rough time lately, and I didn't play a small part in that. Let me make it up to you with dinner.”

Mike's lips curve into a smile. “Sure,” he agrees softly, then adds, “Thank you.”

“It's my pleasure,” Harvey tells him. “And before you ask, Liv is taken care of. She's at Donna's, and I made her promise to give her actual food for dinner. So, when do you get off?”

“Actually, I can finish this tomorrow. We can leave right now.”

“Good. Let's go, then.”

Since Harvey didn't know how long he'd have to wait he didn't make reservations, and he even lets Mike choose a place. This is for him, after all. He doesn't know to what extent yet, but all of this is for him.

Mike picks a restaurant a few blocks away, and they place their order and get a glass of wine – deciding against sharing a bottle since Harvey isn't supposed to drink that much – before clinking glasses.

“To what?” Mike asks, swirling the wine around. Harvey doesn't have to think for long.

“To us.”

“That's always good,” Mike agrees. “To us, then.”

The wine is rich and cool on Harvey's tongue, and he savors the taste before he sets his glass down, clearing his throat. Now is as good a time as any. “I actually wanted to talk to you about something.”

“O-kay?” Mike says carefully. Harvey licks his lips, meeting his expectant look as he searches for the right words.

Starting this conversation is harder than he thought, especially since there's something he needs to come clean about before going any further.

“There's something I haven't told you, which I probably should have,” he begins. “Which I'm realizing sounds a lot worse than it actually is.”

Mike frowns. “What are you talking about?”

“It's nothing serious,” Harvey assures him at the instant worry clouding his face. “It's just something the doctor told me at the hospital before she let me go.”

Mike's eyebrows rise, but he stays silent, waiting for him to continue.

“I told you I was good to go back to work as long as I took my meds, and that's the truth. But that's not everything the doctor said. I... omitted that part.”

“What part,” Mike asks flatly. Harvey can tell he's swaying between getting mad and panicking, and though he would prefer neither, he hopes that the first option wins out if one of them has to. He sighs.

“She said my condition was quite obviously caused by high blood pressure and stress, which she thinks are directly related in my case, with the high-maintenance job and the long hours. She advised me to take it easy in the future, maybe cut back to take some of that stress out of the equation and even things up.”

At Mike's expression he hurries to add, “Listen, she didn't say that it would be a risk to my health if I didn't. It wasn't a lie that I could go back to work. She just said that in the long run, it could ease the strain on my heart if I took things slower. I didn't put myself in active danger by not following her advice. Okay?”

Mike nods slowly, his throat bobbing as he swallows. “Okay, yeah.”

Harvey lets out a deep breath. “Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I didn't want you to worry, but that's no excuse, I know that. Though, in fairness, most of the reason I kept it from you was because I didn't want to acknowledge the implications of it myself.”

Mike huffs, and Harvey is glad to find it's almost a laugh. “Yeah, I can imagine. I understand, I guess, why you didn't say anything before. And you're telling me now. That's the important part.”

“I'm not just telling you,” Harvey says, straightening. “There's actually more. Like I said, I didn't really acknowledge it for a while. But when I found out just how hard it was for you, just the thought of me being in the hospital, or getting sick again, or worse, it made me realize that I couldn't go on like this any longer. It's been hard to come to terms with, I'm sure you can imagine, but I know it's the right thing. So I've made a decision.” Harvey meets Mike's confused gaze steadily. “I'm going to cut back. Considerably.”

Mike blinks at him, a frown crossing his face. “No, you're not.” When Harvey just returns his look, he shakes his head. “But- Harvey, you-”

“I love the work? Yes. I do. But I love you more. And I love being with you more, and with our daughters, and if I had to choose, you would win every time. No question.”

Mike swallows repeatedly, and Harvey can watch a dozen emotions flicker over his face before he finally seems to settle on gratefulness.

“You're really doing that for me,” Mike says, his voice thick. Harvey reaches for his hand.

“I'm doing it for us. Like I said, I have no desire for another hospital visit anytime soon either.”

Mike lets out a laugh. “Could have fooled me,” he mutters. He inhales sharply, his eyes fixed on him as he shakes his head.

“You're really sure? You're not going to be home for an hour and then start regretting this decision because you remember how much work you could get done in the meantime?”

Harvey chuckles. He understands Mike's worries, but he knows deep down that they are unfounded. He's not just doing this to make him happy, after all. He's not making a big sacrifice. It's not easy, that much is true, but it's right. And Harvey has never shied away from anything because it wasn't easy. If he had, he wouldn't be sitting here with Mike as his husband right now.

“When have you ever known me to be unsure about anything?”

Mike smiles at that, and he doesn't stop smiling, the relief visible in every line of his face. Harvey takes in the sight of him, like a weight has lifted from his shoulders, and he knows it was the right call. There isn't much he wouldn't do for Mike, and admitting to his weakness in favor of spending more time with him and seeing him happy? It's a vanishingly small price to pay.

“I love you,” he tells him on impulse. Mike's face softens.

“I love you too.”

Harvey smiles, weaving their fingers together. Mike looks at their hands, then up at him with a smile.

“So there _was_ a reason you took me out tonight.”

“Well, I could have told you at home, but I felt this warranted something a little more special.”

“You're right. I appreciate it.” Mike leans across the table to give him a quick kiss. The corner of his mouth lifts when he draws back. “Though I kind of wish we weren't in public right now. I'm feeling the sudden intense need to kiss you all over, and I do mean _all_ over.”

“Well, when you put it like that...” Harvey cranes his head to check if the waiter is already coming their way. “I'm sure dinner won't take long.”

They do take their time, of course, but Harvey feels the arousal budding in his guts acutely. Mike's eyes are on him all throughout dinner, and at one point the gazes start being accompanied by his foot brushing Harvey's ankle again and again until he's rubbing it almost obscenely.

“You are so getting payback for that when we get home,” Harvey murmurs, smiling at the waiter passing their table. Mike laughs.

“Is that a promise?”

“Of course it is.”

And Harvey never makes promises he doesn't intend to keep. They stay for a while longer, Mike's constant smile and the loaded air between them gradually heightening until Harvey feels dizzy with it, but once they get home, it takes no time at all for them to get each other naked.

The sight of Mike without clothes is still a revelation every time, in all its familiar and delicious glory. Harvey always makes it a point to take his time looking at him, drinking in all the angles of his body, all the ways it has changed over the years.

Being in his forties, Mike isn't as young and slim as he used to be, but Harvey loves the sight of his soft pouch and love handles dearly. He knows Mike is insecure about them, a notion Harvey hasn't yet managed to rid him of but is happy to frequently try. Because looking at Mike's body is like seeing a map of the time they have spent together. Harvey knows it by heart, intimately, and he loves it, _worships_ it.

Of course, Mike looks at Harvey the exact same way, and that, perhaps, is the most exhilarating part.

Harvey has no qualms about admitting to his vanity, and he knows that while he still has his looks, he's not quite as defined as he once was either. But Mike still regards him with a hunger in his eyes that leaves Harvey crazy with want, like he's the most delectable thing he could possibly think of, and that's all the validation he needs.

Their eyes meet when they look up after their visual explorations at the same time, and they both chuckle before Mike leans in, still grinning, to chase Harvey's lips. Harvey pulls him down with him as he sinks onto the mattress, the kiss growing less playful and more urgent when Mike bites his lower lip, canting his hips.

Harvey slides his hands down Mike's chest to dig into his sides, brushing his ass swiftly. Mike moans at the touch, the sound making Harvey's arousal flare up, and he only pulls him closer, desperate to feel more of his bare skin on his.

They end up on top of each other, Mike grinding against Harvey's hips from above as he kisses him so hard his lips feel numb.

They haven't discussed what they want to do tonight, focused on getting each other naked and into bed first, but Harvey closes a hand around Mike's wrist when he reaches behind himself, shaking his head.

“I want you to fuck me tonight. Take me. I wanna feel you tomorrow.”

While they've never settled on doing just one thing in bed, Mike bottoming is probably their most common position. Which doesn't mean that Harvey isn't down for Mike fucking him every once in a while. Tonight, it's exactly what he wants – the delicious tightness, the deep stretch, Mike's heat mingling with his core until it feels like they're one.

“Oh, fuck,” Mike groans, attacking him with another kiss. “God, yeah. Absolutely. Pass me the lube.”

Harvey presses the bottle into his hands, prolonging the kiss before he drops his head with a languid smile. “I'm all yours.”

Mike's eyes flash as he glances at him, licking his lips before he parts Harvey's legs further to crawl between them. Harvey has always enjoyed this view, and he knows Mike loves it from his perspective too. He spreads his legs wider, baring himself as much as he can, and is rewarded by a barely suppressed groan.

“Fuck,” Mike mutters, making quick work of coating his fingers with lube. Just as Harvey wanted him to.

He lets out a quiet sigh when Mike touches him, the lube quickly warming up as he circles his entrance. Harvey is just about to tell him to get on with it when he breaches him. Mike doesn't raise his eyes, but his lips pull into a smirk when the air escapes him in a low sigh instead.

Mike sticks to one finger at first, letting Harvey grow accustomed to the stretch before going any further. It's been a while since Harvey bottomed, too long for him to give way easily, but the feeling of Mike inside him is still familiar, the way he moves to loosen him up and Harvey complies something that can't be unlearned. It's like muscle memory, his body still remembers it perfectly.

And Mike, of course, knows precisely how much he can take and what he needs, deciding against prolonged teasing tonight and instead working him open with quick, practiced movements. It still takes too long for Harvey's taste, but he submits to the procedure without – much – complaining, since being the sole focus of Mike's attention isn't exactly a hardship.

Mike only grins when he urges him on, but Harvey can tell he is equally affected by their actions. His chest is heaving a little too strongly, his breath coming a little too fast, but his hands are nothing but sure and steady when he adds a second finger, then a third.

Harvey groans lowly, shifting his hips as he adjusts to the strain. Mike knows him well enough for the element of discomfort to stay minimal. Harvey doesn't mind it at all, enjoys it even, the slight burn, edging on too much. He knows what it means, what he associates it with, and his body responds to it like it would to a kiss to the sensitive spot on his neck or a brush of his cock. He breathes through it, focusing on the pleasure as Mike stretches him until he's ready.

“Finally,” Harvey mutters when he considerately rolls on a condom – he isn't going to want to take a shower after this – and slicks himself up. Mike chuckles as he lines up his cock with his entrance, one hand steadying his hip.

“Shut up.”

Harvey wraps his legs around Mike's waist, coaxing him closer, and Mike takes the hint, finally, _finally_ entering him.

“Fuck, yeah. More, come on.”

“Okay, yeah. Hold on, I'll just-”

He slides in slowly, taking his time, and Harvey resists the urge to hold his breath, instead bearing down as he surrenders to the exquisite fullness, his eyes fixed on Mike's face.

“Yeah, yeah, come on,” he pants, and Mike licks his lips, his fingers digging into Harvey's hip almost painfully until he has pushed all the way in.

“Fuck,” he gets out, closing his eyes. Harvey knows he's struggling to keep his composure – it's the same for him every time, the feeling of being joined with the person you love so much it feels like they're part of you easily overwhelming – and so he gives him a moment, allowing himself to breathe around the tight fit, just feeling the warmth and stretch of Mike inside him.

Mike is taking deep breaths as Harvey revels in their connection, and he smiles a little as he looks at him, disheveled and panting and his glassy eyes unfocused.

“You're sweating,” Harvey murmurs, brushing a strand of hair out of his forehead. Mike blinks at him.

“Yeah, well, you're a piece of work,” he remarks, but Harvey can hear the admiration in his voice.

It's a good look on him, this. It's a look just for Harvey, one that nobody else gets to see, and Harvey can't imagine Mike any more beautiful.

“I love that I can get you like this,” he says, his eyes drinking in every detail of his face.

Mike lets out a breathless chuckle. “I know you do. It's just, you're so tight and it's so good, it's-”

“I know,” Harvey cuts him off, amusement playing on his lips at his babbling. “For me too. Come on, get moving. As nice as this is...”

“Bossy,” Mike murmurs, pecking his lips before he gives his hips an experimental roll. He grins when Harvey hums. “That good? You want more of that?”

“Stop teasing and get on with it,” Harvey orders, and Mike hangs his head to laugh into his shoulder before kissing it and doing as he says. Harvey lets out an encouraging sound when he begins to move, canting his hips to meet him for every thrust.

They find a rhythm soon, a little slower than Harvey would have liked, but all thoughts about complaining evaporate when Mike shifts his angle and starts hitting his prostate with nearly every thrust.

“Fuck,” he lets out, gritting his teeth. “Fuck, yeah, do that again...”

Mike does, and Harvey moans shamelessly as the pleasure trickles down his spine, the delicious, low heat in his stomach building steadily.

“Harvey,” Mike pants, and he doesn't say anything else, but Harvey understands anyway.

Somewhere in between their rhythmic movements, the air has changed. There is no playful teasing anymore, no dry remarks. There's just Mike, looking at Harvey like he's the center of his world, and the intensity of his gaze mixing with Harvey's pleasure, steadily mounting until it buzzes in every part of him.

Mike usually keeps watching where he disappears in Harvey's body when they have sex like this, but today his eyes are trained on his face, almost transfixed as he stares at him, his hips moving in an hypnotic rhythm. Harvey looks back, letting him see every sign of his pleasure on his face, and it should be weird, staring into someone's eyes for so long, but it's not. Harvey forgets about everything else as the outside world is rendered meaningless, focusing solely on Mike and the shifts of his body, allowing them to stay in this bubble for just a little longer.

“Mike,” Harvey pants, cupping his cheek, and Mike lowers his head, hiding in the crook of Harvey's neck. His breath comes in short, fast pants, the air hot on his skin.

“Fuck,” Mike groans, sliding his lips over his pulse. “Fuck, Harvey.”

“Yeah,” Harvey mutters, baring his throat to give him better access. “Yeah, come on. Come on, Mike, I'm-”

He cuts off with a curse when Mike rolls his hips, hitting his prostate just right. Mike groans with him.

“I love you, I love you, I love you,” he mutters, almost chanting into Harvey's skin. “You feel so good. I love you so much.”

“Come on,” Harvey urges him on, and Mike wraps a hand around his cock, giving him a few quick strokes that have him on the edge instantly.

“Fuck, yes, again,” Harvey gets out, the two sensations of Mike hitting his prostate and jerking him off just right heightening into a wave of pleasure that quickly pulls him under, and Harvey surrenders willingly. When he comes it's with a silent cry on his lips, his world narrowing down to where Mike is on top of him, inside him, around him, grunting as he strokes him through his climax.

Mike is not far behind when the pleasure subsides, leaving Harvey with a bone-deep satisfaction. His rhythm grows almost erratic before his hips stutter and he spends himself with a final thrust, burying his face as he curses into Harvey's skin.

They just stay like that as they catch their breath, Mike collapsed on top of him without a care for the mess he left there. Harvey stares at the ceiling as his pulse slowly returns to normal. He listens to Mike disposing of the condom after a while, then returning to clean him up gently before he rests his head on Harvey's chest, right where his heart is beating beneath his ribs. Harvey knows he is listening, and so he doesn't speak, just wrapping his arms around him.

Eventually Mike inhales deeply, tilting his head to glance at Harvey. “That was...”

“I don't know why you always insist on rating the sex we just had, but nevertheless I have to agree. It was.”

“Amazing,” Mike says, grinning at him. “Absolutely amazing.”

Harvey rolls his eyes and kisses him.

“I know you're doing that to shut me up.”

“Is it working?”

Mike snuggles closer, resting his head on Harvey's shoulder. “Might be.”

Harvey just hums in reply, already feeling himself drifting off. He's drowsy with the delicious afterglow of his climax, as comfortable as he can imagine being with a naked Mike in his arms, and he doesn't fight sleep when it pulls him under.

When he wakes up, early morning light is already falling through the windows, painting the bedroom in a soft glow. Mike has gravitated from his chest to his side, and Harvey turns his head to gaze at him, not entirely surprised to find him awake as well.

“Alright?”

His voice is rough with sleep, the single word heavy on his tongue.

“Yeah.”

Harvey smiles knowingly. “Thinking?”

Mike nods. “You gave me a lot to think about. And I'm not talking about the amazing sex. I mean, I'm so glad you made that decision.” He shakes his head. “I'm just wondering why. You didn't even tell me what the doctor said for weeks, and now this. What changed?”

“My priorities, I suppose. It was a culmination of things, really. I knew myself that what I was doing wasn't right, even if I didn't acknowledge it. Jessica told me the same thing. And then your panic attack, and the conversation we had...”

Mike is silent as he thinks that over.

“Still. Taking this step, that's big. I know what that means, coming from you. It's just hard to believe that you won't regret it.”

Harvey regards him quietly, then rolls onto his side to face Mike.

“When you quit the law, you remember what you told me? You said that those years would always be among the happiest of your life, but they also exhausted you. It's taken me a while to... not understand that, but understand that the same applies to me.” He sighs. “Jessica's right, we're not young anymore. And I don't want to be someone who ages without dignity, or grace. So I'm going to act accordingly.”

“That's... wise. And really mature. Gosh, you really did get old, didn't you?”

Mike chuckles at Harvey's narrowed eyes before he sobers. “No, seriously. I'm so, so happy about it. I just didn't think I'd ever hear you say those words.”

“Well, you can start believing it. I mean them. You'll be seeing a lot more of me in the future.”

He smiles, tracing the veins in Mike's arm with his finger.

“We have time, Mike. I can't give you forever, but I can give you this. We've brought our first daughter up together. We're gonna bring up the second one too, and then we'll have years and years together to admire the people they turned into, compliment ourselves on raising them, cry at their graduations, buy their first published novels, play with _their_ daughters, or whatever else is in store for us.”

Mike beams at him, wrapping an arm around his middle as he skids closer. “You mean whatever else is in store for my totally romantic husband and me?”

Harvey rolls his eyes, but even he doesn't buy it. “I'm trying to have a moment here, but if you insist on ruining it with uncalled for accusations...”

Mike chuckles, giving him a kiss before he gazes at him, whispering against his lips, “Love you, my big old sappy romantic idiot husband.”

“Well, I hope that one sticks. It has such a nice ring to it.”

Mike smiles as he rests his head next to his on the pillow. The arm he's thrown across his chest tightens. “Does Louis know yet?”

“No, but I'm going to tell him this week. I just wanted you to be the first to know.”

“That'll be quite the change for the firm,” Mike says. “One of the name partners taking a step back.”

Harvey glances at him, his lips curving into a smile.

“Well, now that you mention it, that's not going to be the only change around the firm. I need to talk to Louis first, but I already have a plan.”

* * *

“ _Nela Specter-Ross,” the principal read._

_Mike took a sharp breath when Nela got on stage, his applause only topped by Harvey's own as she accepted her diploma, then waved at them with a grin._

_The entire scene barely lasted half a minute, but Harvey only had eyes for his daughter even when the next one was called up, practically bursting with pride. He kept his gaze on her as the remaining students were given their diplomas, then joined the thunderous cheering of the crowd around them._

“ _She looked beautiful,” Harvey said to no one in particular when the applause died down, but Liv must have caught his words, since she nodded._

“ _And she didn't trip, that's a big plus.” She sighed. “She's so lucky to be out of here._ _God, I can't wait until_ I _graduate. Though,” she added, glancing at them, “you're not invited if you're gonna cry.”_

“ _Who's crying?”_

_Liv pointedly looked at Mike, who was wiping his eyes next to him._

“ _Oh, don't pretend you didn't tear up too!” he protested when he caught Harvey's raised eyebrow. “I saw you taking out that tissue during the ceremony. Very discreet, by the way.”_

“ _Oh look, she's coming,” Harvey said, rising from his seat. “Let's meet her over there, it's getting too crowded here.”_

_Mike, Liv, and the others followed suit, gathering in a corner as they waited for Nela to make her way towards them._

_Nela kept getting distracted by one classmate or another – previous classmates now, Harvey noted – hugging or congratulating her, and they waited impatiently for her to show up._

“ _There she is!” Harvey announced when she finally reached them, meeting her halfway with open arms. She laughed as she accepted the hug. “Congratulations, Nela.”_

“ _Congratulations, sweetheart,” Mike told her when it was his turn, rubbing her back. “You were amazing up there. We're so proud of you, you have no idea. And your mother would be, too.”_

_Nela smiled, touching the locket around her neck absently. “Thanks, Daddy.”_

_Liv congratulated Nela too, giving her a whirling hug before signing something Harvey didn't catch, and then everyone else had a go until only Jessica was left. Nela's face lit up when she stepped forwards._

“ _Aunt Jessica! I'm so glad you could make it.”_

_Jessica chuckled. “I may have been late, but I wouldn't have missed this for the world.”_

“ _Jessica Pearson makes airlines quiver with fear,” Mike remarked, and she just smirked._

“ _Damn right she does.”_

_Nela grinned. “It's so good to see you. Thank you for flying in for this!” She let out a deep breath, shaking her head. “I can't believe I'm done.”_

“ _How does it feel?” Liv asked, curious._

“ _Honestly? Weird. I'm so relieved, but it's also really strange that this part of my life is just over now, you know?”_

“ _Oh, don't worry,” Mike told her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “The best is yet to come.”_

“ _You have so much ahead of you,” Rachel told her with a gentle smile. Nela returned it easily._

“ _Oh, I can't wait.”_

“ _Whatever you do, the people there better look out,” Donna said, smirking at her, and Nela laughed._

“ _Right!”_

“ _So, what's next for you?” Jessica asked. “Your father tells me you're still undecided. Any progress there?”_

_Nela lifted her shoulders. “I don't know yet. I'll go to college, that's for sure. Somewhere in New York too. I don't want to leave home.”_

_Jessica hummed. “Living in the dorms might be more practical though, depending on where you go.”_

“ _Yeah, I suppose it might be. Oh, don't look like that!” Nela exclaimed with a laugh at the sight of Mike and Harvey's expressions. “I don't want to move out completely right away. You know I couldn't leave you guys.”_

“ _I'm sure we can figure something out,” Mike told her after exchanging a look with Harvey. They had both known that Nela moving out was only a matter of time now, though neither of them had wanted to think about it too much. Even contemplating the idea of her not living with them anymore after all those years was impossible. “Maybe you can stay in your dorm during the week and come home for the weekends or something.”_

“ _Yeah, that could work.” Both Mike and Nela looked relieved before she turned back to Jessica, taking her arm. “As for what, I definitely want to do something like English Lit, so, we'll see where it takes me.”_

_Jessica nodded. “That seems like a good choice, with your interest in literature. It always pays off to be passionate about your chosen profession.”_

“ _Dad said so too. Actually, there's this one school that partners with New York's biggest publisher, so you can gather practical experience during your studies...”_

_Jessica and Nela went ahead as she told her about her plans, and the rest of the group trailed after them._

_Mike sighed when Harvey fell into step beside him, both of them listening to Nela's explanations. “Look at her. Our little girl's growing up,” Mike murmured._

_Harvey nudged him. “You always say that.”_

“ _Yeah, but this time it's true.”_

“ _I know.” Harvey sighed. “Just wait until Liv's moving out too.”_

“ _Oh no, I'm definitely not thinking about that. Not for a long time yet.”_

_Harvey chuckled as Mike shook his head, taking his hand. “I know. And there's no need to. Let's just focus on celebrating our daughter graduating top of her class today, alright?”_

_A smug grin took over Mike's face. “Yeah, that's a good thing to focus on.” His expression softened into a smile as he regarded Nela. “We brought her up pretty well, didn't we?”_

“ _Yeah,” Harvey agreed, nodding proudly. “I think you could say that.”_

* * *

“This is unexpected,” Rachel remarks as she enters the office, her eyes moving over Harvey, Louis, and Mike awaiting her. Mike is leaning against the desk with his arms crossed, pressing his lips together to keep himself from smiling. “What's going on?”

“We're glad you could make it,” Harvey tells her, smoothly evading the question.

“Well, if it was important enough for you to call me into the office at this hour on a Saturday...”

“Believe me, you'll be glad you came,” Louis promises.

“Okay, I'm officially curious.”

“There's something we want to discuss with you,” Harvey begins. “There will be some changes around the firm soon that you should know about.” His eyes meet Mike's as he says, “I've decided to cut back. I know I said I wouldn't, but I've changed my mind. Which doesn't mean that I'll step down or anything. I'll remain name partner and I'll still be here, just not to the extent I was before. The work will be distributed a little differently.”

“That's... good news, Harvey. Unexpected, sure, but definitely good.” Rachel glances at Mike, who returns her smile. “So... you called me in here on a weekend just to let me know that you'll cut back?”

“Well, partially, but that's not everything. We asked you here because we have something else to tell you.”

“Okay,” Rachel says slowly, looking more confused by the second. Mike bites his lip when she throws him a questioning glance, just shaking his head.

Harvey looks at Louis. “Do you want to tell her, or shall I?”

“You go ahead,” Louis decides, his eyes fixed on Rachel's face. Harvey smirks, reaching into his pocket.

“These are our new business cards, effective next week.” He holds one out. “Take a look.”

Mike holds his breath as Rachel reads the card. He can see the exact moment the words register, a dozen emotions flickering over her face as she freezes in place. Finally she looks up, her mouth open.

“Specter Litt Zane?” Her voice is rough, laced with disbelief. Louis nods.

“Yes.”

“I... what-”

“Congratulations,” Harvey tells her. “We're making you name partner.”

Rachel's lips move silently. “This is- I don't understand,” she finally gets out. She stares at the card, then back at them. “Oh my god. I never thought you'd- I didn't even know you were considering this, what...”

“We had no plans to put another name on the wall, but things changed, and we realized that this is the right thing for the firm,” Harvey explains. “Louis and I both aren't young anymore. We each have our package to carry. It's time for someone younger to step up and join us in taking the reins, and there is no one more suited for the job than you.”

Rachel listens breathlessly. She swallows, shaking her head as she looks at the card again. “I can't believe this,” she whispers.

“Oh, you should,” Louis tells her. “I mean, who else if not you?”

“Louis is right,” Harvey agrees. “You have, without a doubt, grown into one of the smartest, toughest, most skilled lawyers this firm has ever seen. Louis, Jessica, and me included. Nobody deserves it more than you.”

Rachel swallows, then shakes her head before stepping in and wrapping her arms around Harvey. “Thank you,” she whispers, then hugs Louis as well. “Thank you so much. I don't know what to say.”

She straightens her dress when he lets go, taking a deep breath, then turns to Mike. “You knew?”

“I only found out this week. Had to promise to keep quiet until the cards were ready.” Mike pushes himself up from the desk to give her a bear hug. “Oh, come here. I'm so happy for you, Rach. You deserve this.”

She laughs, still sounding dazed. “I can't believe it. I just can't- this is incredible. I think I need a drink.”

“Good thing I brought this,” Donna announces, striding into the office with a bottle of champagne. She grins at Rachel after handing it to Louis, engulfing her in a hug. “Congratulations, Rachel. We're all so proud of you.”

“Of course you were listening,” Rachel says through a laugh, grinning as she returns the embrace. “Thank you. This is... wow.”

She accepts the glass being pushed into her hands, then blinks at their faces when they all look at her.

“To you,” Mike prompts.

Rachel lets out a quiet laugh. “To Specter Litt Zane.”

The champagne prickles on Mike's tongue, but he barely notices, stepping next to Harvey as he regards her with a smile.

Rachel shakes her head. “God, this is so surreal. Specter Litt Zane. It's just like my dad.”

“He would have been so proud,” Mike tells her quietly.

Robert Zane died several years ago now, his heart simply giving out one day, and his death shook Rachel to the core. While they did get along much better later on, they had a rocky relationship for years, and Mike knows she's been consumed by regrets about that time more often than she lets on. He understands, has been there himself, and so he does what he can to remind her that her father was proud of her and loved her, and knew that she loved him too.

Rachel swallows. “Thank you.”

He nods. He knows she stayed a Zane for that reason, as a way to remember him. In stark contrast to how she'd started out as a paralegal, trying to cut all ties to her father's name, she is now wearing it proudly for all the world to see. Mike can only imagine how much it must mean to her to get to honor his memory like this.

He shakes his head as he looks at her, at all of them together in this room, and thinks of how much things changed until it came to this.

It's been a bumpy road, getting here. For every high they've had a low to deal with. It hasn't been easy for any of them. And yet he feels like they all ended up right where they're supposed to be.

When he glances at Rachel, she looks like she's thinking the exact same thing.

“I still can't believe this is happening. I don't know what to say.”

Louis puts down his glass. “Well, I do. I say we go out and celebrate. We've all earned it.”

“Hell, yeah,” Donna agrees, and Rachel laughs.

“I can't argue with that.” She empties her glass, then puts it on the desk to grab her coat. Turning to Mike and Harvey, she asks, “Are you two coming along?”

Mike shakes his head regretfully. “Rain check? I'd love to, but I'm afraid we can't stay out late.” He glances at Harvey, his lips curving into a smile. “Harvey and I've got court in the morning.”

* * *

Harvey shifts in his seat as the judge asks his opponent to stand up.

They are almost through with the final hearing now. His thoughts drift as opposing counsel speaks, mentally going over his notes again. He's fairly certain that they are going to win this thing, but he's not as happy with his closing argument as he would like to be. Something about it doesn't quite sit right with him. It covers all the facts, calls upon the jury's sympathy, and summarizes the case he made nicely, but it doesn't _feel_ right.

Harvey doesn't usually obsess over these things, but for some reason his mind keeps coming back to it this time. Something is bothering him, and he just can't let it go.

“Mr. Specter-Ross?”

Harvey gets up, buttoning his jacket. His eyes move over Bonnie and her family, watching him from behind the bar, before they come to rest on Nela and Mike. She's smiling at him a little, her eyebrows raised expectantly. Mike regards him as well, nodding when Harvey meets his gaze. The corner of his mouth lifts almost questioningly when he doesn't look away, and then he gives him a full smile, filled with familiarity and affection, and something inside Harvey settles as he looks at him, sitting there with their daughter and that smile that tells the story of all their days together.

Harvey straightens and turns around to face the jury, knowing exactly what he's going to say.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he begins, “it is no secret that this isn't my usual area. I'm a corporate lawyer, and while my firm does some pro bono work from time to time, it's not our main focus. Truthfully, I took this case because of my daughter.”

He turns to Nela, taking a moment to just look at her, letting the smile overcoming him at the sight show on his face.

“She came home when she was seven one day, asking if we could go to the Christmas market. Seeing as it was the middle of summer, I took her to a fair instead. While she was initially disappointed, the tons of sweets in between all the merry-go-rounds and whatnot soon did the trick. She nearly made herself sick, then insisted on riding another round anyway and finally refused to leave without getting something for my husband and my other daughter.”

He chuckles at the memory, gazing at her as he continues, “When we drove home, she fell asleep with her head on my shoulder, chocolate still spread on her cheek, clutching the sweets tightly. It was an entirely ordinary trip, ending on an entirely ordinary note. To this day, it remains one of my favorite and most cherished memories.”

Nela blinks at him, her brow slightly furrowed. Mike next to her is watching Harvey intently, the corner of his mouth lifting in a way that tells Harvey he knows exactly where he's going with this. Harvey gives him a nod, then looks back to the jury, his eyes moving over each of their faces.

“Which one of us doesn't know what that's like? Who doesn't have memories like this? The littlest moments that turned out to be the most important, outstanding, meaningful ones we've shared?” Harvey raises his eyebrows. “While we're in this courthouse, deciding about an old man's life, he's missing all of that. His family is, too. They are sitting over there. Hoping that you will recognize what's at the heart of this issue before you make your decision. Because this case isn't about money. It's about humanity, about getting to live a graceful, dignified life. My client can't make sure of that himself anymore. Which is why we as a community, as human beings, need to take care of it instead. To give him back all these little moments he's missing out on. And the big ones. And all the ones in between, all of that which makes up a human life. A worthwhile life.”

Harvey can feel the eyes of everyone in the room on him in the silence following his words, and he sees in the looks they're giving him that he achieved what he wanted – he reached them.

Harvey smiles a little. “I'm convinced that each one of you would want to age gracefully. Surrounded by family, without having to worry about being deported or exploited. I know I would. Because a life that's spent worrying, a life without these moments that stick with us right to the end, that's not a life at all. My client deserves better. His family deserves better. And if it's up to us to make sure they get it, who are we to deny them?”

He lets the words hang in the air, making sure to look at every member of the jury before he nods once, feeling Nela and Mike's eyes on him like a physical weight. “Thank you.”

* * *

“ _Oh, this one looks nice. Well done, sweetheart.”_

_Nela beamed at Mike, preening under his praise. She placed the cookie on the sheet carefully, then chose another cutter. Mike had ordered them online when Nela had proposed making Harvey special cookies for his birthday – special because they were homemade, and because they came in the shape of a baseball, a cap, a bat, a glove, and a player pitching a ball. Mike grinned when he just looked at them._

_He hummed along to the soft music playing in the background, adding one of his own cookies to the sheet._

_Nela sighed. “This one is broken again, Daddy.”_

“ _That's okay, Nela. Your dad won't mind at all, I promise.”_

_She still frowned, but put the cookie next to the others before making another one._

_The sheet slowly filled, and when the dough was riddled with holes Mike gathered it into a batch and rolled it out again so they could make a few more._

“ _That's it!” Nela announced when she'd finished the last cookie, picking up the remaining dough to push it into her mouth. Mike, who had chosen a recipe without eggs specifically for that reason, only smirked as he pretended not to see._

“ _Great. Let's put them in the oven.”_

_They cleaned up a little while the cookies baked, and Mike barely had the chance to move when the timer went off before Nela had jumped in front of the oven, pressing her hands against the pane._

“ _You're gonna have to step away from there if you want me to get them out,” Mike told her, amused, and she grudgingly moved aside, bouncing on her heels as she stayed back like he told her to._

“ _Wow. Look at them, they turned out amazing! Your dad is going to love them.”_

_Truth be told, they were a little crooked, some of them rather dark at the edges, but Mike thought they were charming. And Harvey was going to adore them simply because his daughters had made them for him. Well, Liv had only 'helped' with the dough and Mike had done a good chunk of the cutting with Nela, but it was the thought that mattered._

_Nela seemed to be satisfied with the final result as well. She licked her lips as she eyed them, and Mike could tell she was dying to take one. He elbowed her gently, raising his eyebrows._

“ _What do you say, should we try one? Make sure they taste good before giving them to Harvey?”_

_She grinned. “Yeah!”_

“ _Alright. Pick one for me too, okay? And for your sister.” When she nodded, he called out, “Liv?”_

_He turned around when she didn't react, calling her again once he'd located her playing on the living room floor._

“ _Liv, do you want a cookie too?”_

_He signed along as he spoke, and she nodded, following him to the kitchen._

“ _There you go,” Nela said, handing her one. “It's still warm.”_

 _She signed_ warm _, and Liv closed her hand around the cookie before attempting to duplicate it._

_Mike nodded with a smile. “Well done!”_

_He signed that too, and Liv watched closely as she nibbled her cookie. Incorporating signing into their daily lives had worked out better than Mike had expected after the initial difficulties. It wasn't entirely without its complications, but they were making it work. And the more all of them got used to signing, the less it was an issue._

“ _Yummy!” Liv exclaimed that moment, and Mike caressed her cheek with a soft smile, a surge of affection welling up in him._

“ _Right? Very yummy. You did a great job, both of you.”_

_He allowed Liv to steal another cookie, handing one to Nela as well with a wink before glancing at the clock._

“ _Your dad's gonna be home soon. Let's put these away and start with the other ones, alright?”_

_Nela nodded, helping him put the still warm cookies into a box that Mike then stored away somewhere it would be safe for a few days._

“ _Alright, round two,” he announced, spreading the second dough they'd prepared on the table. He'd known that there was no way in hell they could keep an afternoon of baking secret - the mess alone would be a dead giveaway, there was no time to clean up before Harvey got home – and so they'd made the ones for Harvey's birthday first before starting a second batch of alibi cookies._

_Liv had followed him to the table, watching as he prepared the cookie sheets. He smiled at her, putting a hand on her back._

“ _You can help with this too. Do you want to?”_

_Liv nodded, allowing Mike to tie her bib before letting herself be placed in her chair._

“ _There we go,” Mike muttered, then took a seat and rolled up his sleeves. “Alright, guys. We're gonna take about this much dough and just make it round. It's really easy.” He nodded when Nela copied him, then looked at Liv. “You can try as well.”_

_She did, and while she didn't really get the shape right, she was more than happy placing the cookies Mike and Nela had made on the sheet._

“ _You wanna flatten them with your hand a little? Just like that? Exactly, good job,” Mike praised her._

_Nela chuckled. “She's barely touching them.”_

“ _Doesn't matter. As long as she's having fun, it's all good.” Mike smiled at her. “And you, of course.”_

_She nodded avidly. “We should make dad cookies all the time. And you. And some for Liv and me too!”_

“ _But then we'd be eating nothing but cookies, and I know for a fact that you enjoy other stuff as well. What about the lasagna you like helping dad with, hm? Or waffles?”_

_Nela sighed, as though conceding the point was a particular hardship._

“ _That's not to say that we can't try baking more often,” Mike relented. “As you can see it takes time, but if we're free on weekends...”_

_Nela's face lit up. “It's aunt Rachel's birthday soon, can we bake her cookies too? Or a cake?”_

“ _Oh, yes. We'll definitely make time for that.”_

“ _Awesome! I want the chocolate cake we had for my birthday. Or banana muffins. Or brownies.” She paused, and Mike, assuming she was thinking of more things to bake, only looked up when she said, “Uh, Daddy, look what Liv's doing!”_

“ _What- oh, sh- no, no, love, spit that out, come on.”_

_Liv grudgingly let him remove the batch of dough she'd stuffed into her mouth, scowling at him._

“ _That's it, good girl. There we go,” he muttered, chuckling when she banged her fists on the table in protest._

“ _Da-ddy!”_

“ _I know, I know, it's terribly unfair.”_

 _She signed_ hungry _, and Mike laughed, shaking his head._

“ _No, Liv, you just had two cookies after lunch. You're definitely not hungry. Here, look at this. There are plenty of balls for you to flatten, how about that?” he asked in an attempt to distract her, and Liv kept frowning, but pressed down on the dough anyway._

_Mike bit back a laugh at the sight, taking out his phone to snap a few pictures before going back to helping Nela. They'd made good progress by the time Harvey came home, taking the scene before him in._

“ _You're baking?”_

“ _Yup!” Nela confirmed with a beam._

“ _Why?”_

“ _Just so,” Mike told him, pecking his cheek in passing as he grabbed a new cookie sheet. “Come on, there's still some dough left. You can help.”_

_Harvey got rid of his jacket, rolling up his sleeves before joining them at the table. “You barely left anything for me to do,” he pointed out as he got started. Mike cleaned Liv's cheeks in the meantime, then entertained her until she could do her part again._

_He sat back with a smile as he watched Nela trying to assist her, laughing when Liv did anything but flatten the dough. He turned his head when Harvey let out a soft sigh._

“ _What?”_

_Harvey didn't look at him, his eyes fixed on the girls absorbed in their task. “Just... look at them. Isn't this incredible?”_

_He didn't specify what he meant, but Mike understood._

_Harvey was right. It was so improbable that they were sitting here like this, the four of them as a family. And yet here he was, watching their daughters making a mess, knowing they would all cuddle up on the sofa later, one of the girls on each of their laps, nibbling some still warm cookies. Mike would probably put on some music and Liv would probably fall asleep on his chest or Harvey's shoulder. Nela would tell them about kindergarten and the preparations for school she would start next year, signing some words she'd learned recently to Liv in between. Harvey would pull Mike closer to wrap an arm around him and Mike wouldn't be able to keep the smile off his face, and it would be a day like any other, nothing out of the ordinary, and still it would be absolutely perfect._

_Mike knew that with absolute certainty, because it already was._

* * *

“How'd it go?” Liv asks. Harvey grins at her as he takes off his jacket.

“How do you think?”

Liv laughs. “Hell, yeah! That's awesome, Dad.”

“It is,” Nela agrees, glancing at Harvey. “I knew you'd win.”

Harvey smirks. “I knew I would win, too. But I'm glad I was right.”

Mike smiles and shakes his head. He knows Harvey wasn't sure if they would win right until the end. Mike could tell he had spoken on impulse, disregarding the notes he'd made beforehand. The words had been important to him, yes, full to the brim with meaning and weight, but he didn't usually rely on emotion over fact. Seeing the jury rule in their favor was... gratifying, for both of them.

“Of course they did,” Mike told him afterwards, once he'd given him a bone-crushing hug. “What you said, that was... there was no way they couldn't.”

“It was amazing,” Nela said, a big grin on her face when she hugged him as well.

Bonnie and her siblings thanked them over and over, saying that they didn't know how to repay them, and Mike knew Harvey meant it when he told them that there was no need to. He got something much more valuable out of this case than money, after all. A chance to work with Mike again. A new perspective on life, his life, and what he wanted it to be. Those were things money couldn't buy.

“I think this calls for a celebration,” Mike announces. Harvey lifts an eyebrow.

“Which entails...?”

“Pizza. And a Star Trek marathon.”

Liv and Harvey break into a grin.

“I'll call the pizza guy,” Nela sighs, turning around. “And if you guys pick one of the episodes I've seen a hundred times again, I want cookies while we wait.”

“Yes, Ma'am,” Mike agrees. “I'll get them.”

His eyes fall on Liv, and he purses his lips, halting in his steps. It strikes him that this, right now, is as good a moment to come clean as any. It's never going to be perfect. It's never going to be exactly right. So why not now, when they have a minute to talk and are both in a good mood? It won't get any better than this.

Before he can change his mind, he asks, “Liv, do you wanna help me?”

“Yeah, alright.”

He licks his lips when they reach the kitchen, fighting down the sudden inkling of nervousness in the pit of his stomach.

“The plain ones or the ones with chocolate?” Liv inquires.

 _Chocolate,_ Mike tells her. _You know Nela loves those._

Liv nods, taking the right box. Mike hands her a glass before getting one for himself as well, then watches her grab some juice.

Steadfastly ignoring his fluttering nerves, he asks, “Hey, Liv, can we talk for a second?”

She glances up, brushing a strand out of her face as she straightens.

“Sure. What's up?”

Mike plays with the rim of his glass. “There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about. Maybe this isn't the right way to do this, in passing, but I don't really know how else to say it, so I'll just get it over with.”

She takes a cookie out of the box while he talks, scowling at him as she takes a bite. “Okay, you're being weird. Just tell me what it is.”

She makes it sound so easy, and so Mike chooses to believe that it is. It's no big deal. It's easy, right? Totally easy.

He takes a deep breath. “So, you know how I used to be a lawyer before going into Social Work?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Mike glances at her. “Well, I wasn't strictly speaking one.”

Liv frowns. “How do you mean?”

Mike licks his lips. “I mean that I don't actually have a law degree. Because I never went to Harvard.”

It's easier to say the second time around, he realizes. Not easy by any definition of the word, but definitely easier.

Liv's face is a perfect image of incomprehension, however, and so he gathers his courage and explains, “When I met your father, I was in a pretty bad place. I needed money for my Grammy, and... well, I ended up in a job interview with him I should never have gotten into. Harvey and I got talking, and somehow he ended up hiring me. I still don't know what made him do it, but something about my showing off must have resonated with him somehow. As for me, being desperate and having my dream of being a lawyer suddenly within reach... of course I went for it.”

“So you're telling me-” Liv takes another bite, chewing slowly as she narrows her eyes- “that you worked at the best law firm in this city without a license. For _years._ ”

Mike glances at his hands. “In a nutshell, yes.”

“Wow.” Mike looks up, raising his eyebrows at Liv's expression. She looks faintly impressed, eyeing him intently as she says, “That's really cool.”

“What? I mean, is it?”

“Totally! I mean, you and dad are criminals. That's not something I ever expected to find out about you two. I can't believe you pulled that off! Did aunt Jessica know?”

“She found out after a while, yeah.”

Liv hums. “I can't believe all of you have been keeping this from me for years. You're, like, spies or something.”

“Well, it may sound like a big adventure, and in a way it was, but it was also dangerous. And it was illegal, of course, so there's that.”

“Yeah, but it's not like you killed anyone, so what's the big deal?”

Mike opens his mouth, then closes it.

Seemingly not expecting an answer anyway, Liv gives him a curious look. “Why did you stop?”

“Because it got too dangerous. After we made the decision to adopt again, I couldn't live with the idea of putting all of you in jeopardy any longer.”

“So you gave up your dream for us.”

“Yeah, well.” He shrugs. _It turned out pretty well for me though, didn't it? I love what I do now. I'll never have to leave you guys to go to jail. Looking at it this way, I didn't really give up anything at all._

Liv smiles a little, regarding him as she finishes her cookie. Wiping her hands on her shirt, she says, “Honestly? That's pretty cool, Daddy. You should have told me before.” She grabs the box from the counter, then nods towards the living room. “You coming?”

Mike lets out a relieved chuckle, shaking his head. “Yeah, love. I'm coming.”

And that's that. They return to the living room, and Liv grabs the remote to select an episode, either having forgotten what he just told her or simply not caring, and Mike realizes that he never should have worried about coming clean in the first place. Because he may have done a bad thing in his past, but he's not a bad person. Liv knows that. Nela knows that. They understand that he's not perfect and love him anyway, and whether they care about what he did or not, the bonds connecting them are stronger than anything that could come between them. And if that isn't the most valuable thing there can be, Mike doesn't know what is.

“You okay?”

He blinks at the sound of Harvey's voice, turning to him with a smile. “Yeah, better than okay. Why?”

“I don't know.” Harvey gives him an amused look, tipping his chin. “You looked pretty lost in thought there.”

“I'm fine,” Mike assures him, placing a kiss on his lips before drawing back, his smile growing. “I'm perfect.”

“You guys coming or what?” Liv calls, and Mike steers Harvey to the sofa where they take a seat, moving to make some space for Nela when she returns.

“Pizza will be here in an hour,” she tells them, and with that they settle in to watch some trashy episode of Star Trek and make fun of the almost unbelievable views prevailing in it.

They take a break when the food arrives, getting plates and napkins to eat on the sofa, Nela's feet planted in Liv's lap while Mike lounges on the other end of the sofa, cuddled up to Harvey. The pizza is hot and greasy, just the way Mike loves it, and he eats and tries to feed Harvey and snorts when he smears cheese on his cheek until he's stuffed.

He rests a hand on his belly when he straddles the line between comfortably sated and too full, dropping his head on the backrest and listening to his daughters having their traditional discussion about pineapple on pizza, and it dawns on him, one arm wound around Harvey's back, one of Harvey's thrown across his shoulder, that there is absolutely nowhere in the whole world he would rather be. Nobody else he would like to celebrate their victory with than these three people he has somehow found and now considers his own, the same way they consider him theirs.

This is what it all amounted to, what every decision he made since the moment he first met Harvey resulted in. Mike can't say that he always did the right thing, that he didn't mess up big time now and then along the way. But knowing that it turned out like this, that they ended up here, the four of them together, their biggest worry being who will get the last slice of pizza with cheese in the crust, he can't bring himself to regret any of it. He would do every mistake ten times over if it meant he would get this.

Harvey seems to notice the shift in his mood, because he brushes his temple with his lips, murmuring, “Lost in thought again?”

Mike can hear the smile in his voice and he smiles too, closing his eyes as he leans into him.

“Thank you,” he murmurs.

“What for?”

Mike exhales deeply. “For giving me this life.”

Harvey is quiet as he takes his words in, then nods in understanding.

“I could tell you the same thing, you know.”

Mike twists in his embrace to look at him. “You're very, very welcome,” he tells him, and then he leans in for a kiss, the familiar warmth and taste of Harvey's lips making flowers blossom in his chest. All those years, all the days they have lived together, and still there are flowers.

Mike hopes that there always will be.

He smiles when he draws back, gazing at him. “It's really been amazing, hasn't it? All of it. The good and bad.”

“It has,” Harvey agrees. “Mostly because it's ours. We built it together. And it's not over yet.”

“No,” Mike says as he laces their hands together, holding on tightly. “No, we're only just getting started.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we’ve reached the end! Wow. When I started writing TBAH nine months ago, I neither expected this to grow into a universe of over 200k words (I didn’t even plan for TBAH to cross 100k!), nor did I anticipate the response it got. I’m still somewhat overwhelmed by it, so I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your support and enthusiasm and all the love you have shown me and this universe! If you stuck with me to the end, if you left kudos and especially if you commented, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. It means more to me than I can tell you, and it made this journey one I will always look back on fondly.
> 
> I can’t believe this is it. The main arc of this story is finished, but I’m leaving the door open for possible one shots if the right idea or prompt comes along! As it is, you can always come back and reread the story of the Specter-Rosses :)

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not a professional, so the medical facts as well as the details about the case may be inaccurate. Blame it on Google.
> 
> As usual, English isn't my native language. If you have anything to say, thoughts, concrit, or you just want to tell me something, I always love getting comments :)


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